Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Jun 05, 2025

NHI responds to claims that it has stopped covering certain drugs

NHI responds to claims that it has stopped covering certain drugs

Amid public complaints that the National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme has suddenly discontinued coverage of a number of medications, Executive Director of the NHI, Roy Barry, has sought to dispelled those claims, stating that his organisation has not ‘recently stopped’ covering any drugs.

He said the NHI — a state-owned body under the Social Security Board — has merely reiterated the list of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs that are not covered under the health insurance programme.

In an interview with BVI News on Monday, the NHI’s Executive Director said the health insurance programme only covers medication prescribed by a doctor and medical professionals.

He noted that NHI’s policy to not cover OTCs is not a recent thing. He said this rule has been in place since inception of the programme.

Providers wrongfully billing the NHI


However, Barry explained that pharmacies and other providers have been billing the NHI for OTCs. He said the NHI’s recent public release on the matter just served as a reiteration of the policy in question.

“We have recently been upgrading our systems and decided it was necessary to remind providers that the NHI does not cover over-the-counter drugs; only prescribed medication,” Barry stated.

When asked whether NHI was co-paying for the OTC drugs billed by the pharmacy, the Executive Director told our news centre ‘no’.

Barry warned that pharmacies must stop billing OTCs to the NHI as the NHI will not go against their own policy.

“What was happening was that the customers would go to the pharmacy and would co-pay for the medication but when the billing comes to NHI, we would review medication and issue payment for whatever we cover but not for OTC,” Barry said.

“The change customers are seeing now is the pharmacies/providers enforcing the rule that was there from the onset,” he added.

Drugs NHI does not cover


The NHI recently released a three-page list of OTCs that have been billed to them over the years. The list served as a reminder that these drugs are classified as OTCs and will not be covered under the health insurance scheme.

They are Piriton, Histal, Zyrtec, Claritin, Claritin-D, Allegra, Allegra-D, Periactin and Zedex. The list also contains the anti-infective medication, Vermox.

The NHI noted it does not cover blood formation and coagulation drugs such as Aspirin, Ferrous salt, and Ferrous salt + Folic acid.

OTC central nervous system medications such as Advil, Alleve, Panadol, Tylenol, Zomig Imigran are also not covered. The list also includes respiratory tract agents such as Bisolvon. Furthermore, eye, ear, nose, and throat preparations drugs such as Beconase, Difflam, Rhinocort, Canesten, Avamys, Flonase, Flixonase, Nasonex, Pataday, Nasacort are not covered by the health insurance scheme, while gastrointestinal drugs like Dulcolax, Colace, Nexium, Pepcid AC, Buscopan, Prevacid, Imodium, Losec, Prilosec are not eligible for co-pay.

The skin and mucous membrane meds Zovirax, Differin, Lamisil, Canesten, Econazole nitrate, Miconazole, Amorolfine hydrochloride, Hydrocortisone and Benzoyl Peroxide are also not covered.

Additionally, NHI announced it does not cover 88:00 vitamins such as folic acid, Pyridoxine, Thiamine, ascorbic acid, multivitamins, multivitamins + iron and the 92:00 miscellaneous therapeutic agent, Daflon.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Global News Roundup: From Ukraine's strategic military strikes and Russia's demands and Tensions Escalate in Ukraine, to serious legal issues faced by Britons in Bali and Trump's media criticism, the latest developments highlight a turbulent landscape
Majority of French Voters View Macron's Presidency as a Failure
Hungary Partners with China to Boost Electric Vehicle Production
‘Vibe Coding’ Emerges as the New DIY Trend
AI Pioneer Yoshua Bengio Warns Models Can Deceive Users
Big Four Firms Rush to Create AI Auditing Systems
Musk’s xAI Pursues $113 Billion Valuation in New Share Sale
Walmart Increases Revenue Despite Shrinking Workforce
Hims & Hers Plans UK and EU Launch of Replica Obesity Drugs
Toyota to Acquire Supplier in $33 Billion Buyout
U.S. Reduces Military Presence in Syria
Trump Demands Iran End All Uranium Enrichment in Nuclear Talks
China Accuses US of Violating Trade Truce
Panama Port Owner Balances US-China Pressures
France Implements Nationwide Outdoor Smoking Ban to Protect Children
German Chancellor Merz Keeps Putin Guessing on Missile Strategy
Mandelson Criticizes UK's 'Fetish' for Abandoning EU Regulations
British Fishing Boat Owner Fined €30,000 by French Authorities
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
×