As the Jamaican population ages, more and more elderly Jamaicans will require support, especially with regard to
their health care in order to continue to live purposeful and meaningful lives.
One's financial, mental and social health are more at risk as one ages and as one's income diminishes due to retirement.
The latest official data from the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) indicates that Jamaica's population is ageing, with some 280,000 Jamaicans now at the age of 60 years and over. Further, the fastest growing segment of the country's population is the age cohort of 65 years and over.
However, I find it strange that our local health insurance companies do not view parents of a contributor as a dependent. Why is it that parents, as a category, are excluded from the list of dependents? Why should it be only spouses, whether common-law union or married, and children that are viewed as dependents? This stance by our health insurance companies is rather myopic and backward and needs to change.
As a result of this unfair policy from our health insurance companies, many of our elderly parents whose children have health insurance continue to suffer unnecessarily especially in this harsh economic climate because they are excluded from being dependents on their children's insurance.
Our women are particularly at risk mainly because of their unpaid work in the home. We need to have a humane look at this issue and put in measures to adequately address the interests and concerns of our elderly. The time has come for us to return to the National Policy for Senior Citizens and put in place a more comprehensive policy which will address the needs of senior citizens, needs such as degenerative disorders that usually accompany old age.
We need to incorporate all the stakeholders, including the local health insurance industry. We need to have a progressive policy that will provide social protection for our elderly.
The measure of any civilisation is how that society treats its weakest members, that is, the very young and the old, and so far we have not been doing a good job with either category.
We need to value our seniors and engage them more in the wider society. Our elderly should not be discarded and pushed aside; we must do more for them.
Wayne Campbell
waykam@yahoo.com
We must do more for our elderly
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their health care in order to continue to live purposeful and meaningful lives.
One's financial, mental and social health are more at risk as one ages and as one's income diminishes due to retirement.
The latest official data from the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) indicates that Jamaica's population is ageing, with some 280,000 Jamaicans now at the age of 60 years and over. Further, the fastest growing segment of the country's population is the age cohort of 65 years and over.
However, I find it strange that our local health insurance companies do not view parents of a contributor as a dependent. Why is it that parents, as a category, are excluded from the list of dependents? Why should it be only spouses, whether common-law union or married, and children that are viewed as dependents? This stance by our health insurance companies is rather myopic and backward and needs to change.
As a result of this unfair policy from our health insurance companies, many of our elderly parents whose children have health insurance continue to suffer unnecessarily especially in this harsh economic climate because they are excluded from being dependents on their children's insurance.
Our women are particularly at risk mainly because of their unpaid work in the home. We need to have a humane look at this issue and put in measures to adequately address the interests and concerns of our elderly. The time has come for us to return to the National Policy for Senior Citizens and put in place a more comprehensive policy which will address the needs of senior citizens, needs such as degenerative disorders that usually accompany old age.
We need to incorporate all the stakeholders, including the local health insurance industry. We need to have a progressive policy that will provide social protection for our elderly.
The measure of any civilisation is how that society treats its weakest members, that is, the very young and the old, and so far we have not been doing a good job with either category.
We need to value our seniors and engage them more in the wider society. Our elderly should not be discarded and pushed aside; we must do more for them.
Wayne Campbell
waykam@yahoo.com
We must do more for our elderly
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