Dear Editor,
Recently I had to deal with a health scare that has pushed me to urge all well-thinking Jamaicans to invest in health insurance, if nothing else. This is not to say that other forms of insurance are not important, but being able to secure one's health keeps everything else in perspective.
So many of us consider health insurance a luxury and not a necessity and thus leave our health to chance. Furthermore, we see it as an added monthly expense that we may never need. However, I wish to point out that in the event of an unforeseen accident or illness, the peace of mind from having insurance coverage makes it worth the minimal monthly payments one has to make.
Jamaicans are supposed to receive health care at public institutions free of cost, but in reality this is more theoretical than practical. The time you have to wait to have important procedures done and the unavailability of key equipment, etc, defeat the purpose of accessibility to all.
Therefore, I urge the state to consider an alternative to the present system. One such alternative could be to expand the NHF to include people outside the present scope (that is, people with chronic illnesses and the elderly). Why would this work? Insurance cuts the cost of private health care significantly. Therefore, if people have insurance coverage, they could seek the help of private doctors in cases that do not require hospitalisation. This would leave the hospitals open to deal with cases that are serious.
Patricia Clarke
Claremont, St Ann
nardia.dixon@yahoo.com
Expand the National Health Fund
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Recently I had to deal with a health scare that has pushed me to urge all well-thinking Jamaicans to invest in health insurance, if nothing else. This is not to say that other forms of insurance are not important, but being able to secure one's health keeps everything else in perspective.
So many of us consider health insurance a luxury and not a necessity and thus leave our health to chance. Furthermore, we see it as an added monthly expense that we may never need. However, I wish to point out that in the event of an unforeseen accident or illness, the peace of mind from having insurance coverage makes it worth the minimal monthly payments one has to make.
Jamaicans are supposed to receive health care at public institutions free of cost, but in reality this is more theoretical than practical. The time you have to wait to have important procedures done and the unavailability of key equipment, etc, defeat the purpose of accessibility to all.
Therefore, I urge the state to consider an alternative to the present system. One such alternative could be to expand the NHF to include people outside the present scope (that is, people with chronic illnesses and the elderly). Why would this work? Insurance cuts the cost of private health care significantly. Therefore, if people have insurance coverage, they could seek the help of private doctors in cases that do not require hospitalisation. This would leave the hospitals open to deal with cases that are serious.
Patricia Clarke
Claremont, St Ann
nardia.dixon@yahoo.com
Expand the National Health Fund
-->