Health insurance firm U-turns on Shetty hospital
Health City Cayman Islands
(CNS Business): Following a memo sent to British Caymanian Insurance customers last month by management blocking cover for treatment at Health City Cayman Islands in East End, the firm has made an about turn, and in a joint statement with HCCI has announced it will now extend cover to all services at the facility. BritCay and HCCI said that after “productive talks”, from next Monday, 17 April, the insurance company will be allowing policyholders to access all health care services covered under their plan with the hospital.
“The two parties met, along with the Health Insurance Commissioner, to work together to ensure that people continue to receive the best quality health care available. It is anticipated that more discussions will be held between BritCay and Health City to ensure there is a continuing collaborative relationship in the future,” the statement read.
Last month the insurance firm sent a memo saying it wanted to review standards and check prices before it would clear its customers to receive treatment at Health City with BritCay cover. But the HCCI said it felt the insurance firm was putting other considerations over people’s healthcare needs and that the decision would have a negative impact on patients and send the wrong message about the hospital.
The issue of health insurance and the power of the private sector companies to limit cover, cherry-pick patients and undermine the system as they seek profits above healthcare needs is becoming increasingly apparent.
Speaking at the Progressives’ national conference on Saturday, the premier implied that if a PPM government was returned to power after the general election, they are planning a complete overhaul of the entire system.
Ed Chisholm, who was the first PPM representative to attend a Chamber of Commerce Forum on Tuesday night, said he believed Cayman needed a national health insurance system of some kind when asked about the issue of health insurance, which is becoming increasingly unaffordable for ordinary people.
At present, the government is trapped in the worst of all worlds regarding health insurance costs. People in work are still not receiving sufficient cover even with increasingly expensive plans that are part paid by employers. Despite changes in the law, insurance firms are still cherry-picking customers and either refusing cover to some or pushing premiums to impossibly high levels.
This means the government’s insurance company, CINICO, is picking up those patients, adding to their pool of high-risk clients. The public purse is therefore picking up the tab for those who cannot access cover or who have no insurance because they are out of work and unable to afford it, and is also spending millions of taxpayers dollars every year covering the shortfall where cover is inadequate.
Category: Healthcare, Insurance, Local Business
Over the last 10-years, health insurance premiums have increased by an average of 400%. The reimbursement received by doctors for their services has stayed exactly the same during the same period. That’s right, doctors have not had a pay rise for over 10-years. So, if the health insurance companies are paying doctors the same as in 2006, ask yourself: Why the huge hike in premiums? If the government, any government, wants to increase the quality of healthcare in Cayman, then stop the insurance companies making out like bandits and support a small pay increase for doctors so they can maintain and develop their clinics to ensure a high quality of care.
You are misleading people as doctors do not abide by the agreed fees and instead charge people what the feel like, without not even notifying the patient of this and the patient is left to pay the additional charges out of pocket. So the insurance companies and the physicians are both making off like bandits while the poor people suffer.
Cleared to undertake consultations (including primary care), treatments and procedures they originally said they would not do to avoid conflict with local doctors.
I guess britcay realized that just as they continue to drop persons from their coverage the people could also drop them. After all they are not the only insurance providers on island. For years they have been ripping us off but that too shall stop. Cinico should be and will become the national insurance company of the Cayman Islands. These private cartels should get their act together or they will meet their demise soon.we as Caymanians and residents are fully awaken and we have the power. A change is coming and it won’t be from the old guards either. Why didn’t the progressives and the udp/cdp do something to rectify this long ago. Finally we have an alternative. The brightest,boldest and best are among the Independents and after may 24 this and much more will be fixed. The giants are awaken.
Omg are you saying the independents are going to save us. Really what a mess if that happens.
Health City, the only tertiary care provider on island and with glowing reviews – BritCay cuts them off. Everybody had to shake their head at that ill-considered move.
It’s nice to see BritCay back in check so quickly though. To suggest to their clients that they must travel overseas for specialist care when it’s right here on island was backwards and ridiculous.
I guess they thought they could get away with it. Who are their board members anyway? Are they clueless.? What made them think it would be ok. You know the place where the hospital is located is the same place that thousands went out to rally to prevent a developer from digging out and creating a harbour, that many of us believe would flood the East End interior and destroy the very essential water lenses. We rallied then and we were getting ready to do it again.
“. . .the ONLY provider of tertiary care”? Have you heard of CTMH and GTH?
Yes I’ve heard of both. And to correct you, it’s the Cayman Islands Hospital in George Town, not the George Town Hospital.
If either facility had tertiary care services, they would not send patients overseas for specialist care. The Cayman Islands Hospital has a unit dedicated solely to coordinating overseas medical transfers. Trust me, I use to work there.
CTMH may have increased their offerings since they changed owners and rebranded, but they’ve still got a ways to go.
great news
Treat them like politicians
Vote them OUT!