Beautiful Virgin Islands

Friday, Jul 25, 2025

'Hard decisions' have to be made on NHI - Hon Carvin Malone

The National Health Insurance (NHI), controversially implemented by the previous National Democratic Party (NDP) administration in 2016 is on the brink of a serious overhaul, as the subject Minister has hinted a “war” on the policy.

Acting Premier and Minister for Health and Social Development Honourable Carvin Malone (AL) said some hard decisions have to be made to make the scheme in the Virgin Islands more effective.


‘Major issues’ with NHI- Hon Malone

Given a few minutes to give remarks at the Town Hall Meeting call by Minister for Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration, Honourable Vincent O. Wheatley (R9) at the Catholic Community Centre in Virgin Gorda on January 23, 2020, Hon Malone remarked that NHI has become unsustainable and "some hard decisions have to be made.”

"We have some major issues,” Hon Malone added, noting that stronger attention will be given to address the issues with NHI when the war on derelicts [vehicles & boats] is won.

He also said he has not been able to identify any jurisdiction that is void of NHI and NHS issues.

"It’s well intended but we have to find out what that intent was. We have to find out where we would like to take this in a sustainable manner, how best we can do this so that when you need the services, of the National Health Insurance, that you can gain from this."

According to the Health Minister, many suggestions are already on record and he has started the data collection processes and has been able to finger some of the issues.


36,000 registered with NHI

Hon Malone stated that NHI has some 36, 000 registered and government continues the policy of having free health care services for persons ages 1 day to 18 years and free services for seniors 65 years and older.

Similarly health care services are enjoyed free of cost by Fire and Rescue officers, police officers, prisoners, prison officers and indigent persons.

“It’s being paid for by persons between the ages of 18 years and 64 years 11 months and 29 days. Until you reach your 65th birthday we want your money, we want to be able to get this done," said Hon Malone.


A major challenge

One of the sore challenges; however, according to the Minister, is that the local public health facilities cannot bill those persons in the non-paying bracket.

"That's fine, the government contributes about $42M to take care of the hospital administration and health care for all these persons. But most persons have their private doctor. They say they don’t want to go to Peebles or they don’t want to go to Iris O'Neal (Health Centre) they want to go to a private doctor."

"So although government is paying for all these services we have to pay it twice, because when they go to a private institution then they have to get the 10% co pay, and we have 90 cents on every dollar that NHI has to pay again, so government in that case is paying twice for those services for those persons who have free health care."

This, the Health Minister said, is unsustainable.


NHI spends more than it earns

It was in 2018 that Director of the Virgin Islands' (VI) Social Security Board (SSB), Ms Antoinette Skelton told the House of Assembly’s Standing Finance Committee to examine the draft allocations for 2018 that NHI was spending more than it was earning.

NHI in 2017 earned $79,882,819 but its total expenditure was $80,476,662. This represented a net loss (deficit) of $646,843 that year.


Public input

Another challenge, Hon Malone also highlighted, is the ability of private institutions charging for health care services higher than the public health services can.

Residents heard that communities would be given the opportunity to make their input in efforts to help the sitting government fix the flaws with NHI and health care in the Territory.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
×