Dear Bahamas Issues,

I have a gripe about the high cost of medical insurance. Our premiums shot up by 60% last year and when we reach the age of 70, our lifetime benefit takes a dive from $1 million to $100,000, just when we might need it the most!

Fay Knowles
http://www.bahamaswriter.com
"An informal guide & source of inspiration
for new and not so new writers worldwide"

Citizens need to respond. We take too many things lying down. Good healthcare is essential. It should be available to all! We need to unite and make good healthcare available to all. That is one of the reasons we have a government.

If governemnt will not do it, then we need to form a health-care cooperative that will provide for our needs.

We also need to appreciate that these benefits are costly, even though they are necessary. We need to find ways to pay for them. In some way, shape, or form we will have to be taxed. The many will have to pay for the few.

Insurance companies need to be regulated and the medical profession needs to be properly regulated.

I agree, Ebo. If we are to become a first world country, then good health care should be made available to all of our citizens, not just those who can afford it.

Everyone out there who is concerned about health provision, talk about it to everyone you know (especially in government), write about it to the newspapers, call in to the radio talk shows, and let’s make a difference!

One day, many of you reading this might be elderly and not able to afford good health care.

Fay Knowles
http://www.bahamaswriter.com
"An informal guide & source of inspiration
for new & not so new writers worldwide"

I need someone with knowledge about such matters to answer the question, "Who owns your medical records..you or your doctor?" Can a medical doctor who you no longer want anything do do with for your own reasons simply ignore a demand that he or she hand over all your medical records? Is it a police matter or a civil matter? What is the role of the Medical Association and does the law speak to these issues? Will a doctor have to be shot or badly beaten to get results?

Dear Bahamas Issues,

I have a gripe about the high cost of medical insurance. Our premiums shot up by 60% last year and when we reach the age of 70, our lifetime benefit takes a dive from $1 million to $100,000, just when we might need it the most!

Fay Knowles
http://www.bahamaswriter.com
"An informal guide & source of inspiration
for new and not so new writers worldwide"



Yep, if you cant afford good medical insurance, you have to have a million and one cookouts on the Eastern Parade, and on R.M. Bailey park. Its a shame, that so many Bahamians have to resort to this, even when paying out high premiums to insurance companies. I say forget insurance, and have some money on fix.

Yep, if you cant afford good medical insurance, you have to have a million and one cookouts on the Eastern Parade, and on R.M. Bailey park. Its a shame, that so many Bahamians have to resort to this, even when paying out high premiums to insurance companies. I say forget insurance, and have some money on fix.

What you are talking about is some thing they call being "self-insured." That might work if you put aside a few thousand dollars a year - starting at the age of sixteen, and don't use it until you are sixty!

I believe it is because of insurance that we have such high medical costs. Insurance companies pay out without question. I am sure that some unscrupulous Doctors "pad" the bill when ever they can. This raises the cost for us all.

I am reminded of the story of a man who went to his doctor. The Doctor said "you are very, very ill! You will need this test, and that test. We will have to x-ray you and take blood."
The man replied, "but Doctor. I don't have any insurance!"
"Oh!" said the Doctor. "In that case, take two aspirin. You will be fine."

Yep, if you cant afford good medical insurance, you have to have a million and one cookouts on the Eastern Parade, and on R.M. Bailey park. Its a shame, that so many Bahamians have to resort to this, even when paying out high premiums to insurance companies. I say forget insurance, and have some money on fix.

I totally agree. As far as I am concern medical insurance is more a benefit to raise share holders annual dividend and so forth and so on. People have come so far through-out the ages and in so many without medical insurance. Now I am not saying that it is not necessary, but I think if you can give $100 to $300 a month to an insurance company, then you can fix it away especially where there is several working family members each can pool a little of their resources into one account.

I do not know if there is any such mi that is like life insurance that is guaranteed to pass on to a survivor, is there? If there is then it may be worth it. Otherwise, banking MI with an insurance company is a way to gamble with time, if you fall ill or get injured you win (really?). If you live well and healthy (and I do not see why one shouldn’t) then you can kiss those $ goodbye. I have been insured by every company I have worked for and personally have not once used any part of any medical insurance. I have seen co-workers truly make them selves ill, (truly self inflicted injuries and stress) just to take advantage of MI benefits.

Im wondering. Im 17 with no current medical illnesses for several years now (used to have multiple heart issues but now im as healthy as can be), and no family history of illnesses About how much would be my premium be?

and with that..i never really understood insurance premiums!
can some explain why should i care?
seriously!!!

Im wondering. Im 17 with no current medical illnesses for several years now (used to have multiple heart issues but now im as healthy as can be), and no family history of illnesses About how much would be my premium be?

It depends on the company and the package you choose. The larger the deductible is, the less your premiums are (generally speaking.) The deductible, or co-payment, is the amount you have to pay before the insurance kicks in. For example, if your hospital bill is $5,000.00 and you have a $2,000.00 deductible. You pay the Hospital $2.000 and the insurance company pays them $3,000.

As for your Heart condition. That might be considered as a "pre-existing condition." They might not cover you for that or you would have to pay more for coverage.

Generally speaking, if you are a non-smoker, non-drug user, or non-drinker you will pay less for insurance. If you are over-weight, you will pay more. So as you can see there is no fixed answer I can give you as to how much Insurance will cost you. But at your age it might be a good idea to start looking into some plans - see what they offer. Also, when one gets a job, insurance is often offered as a part of employment. The only trouble with that is, if you lose the job, you lose the Insurance coverage. :(

and with that..i never really understood insurance premiums!
can some explain why should i care?
seriously!!!

Why should you care? Let me tell you something from personal experience.

My Sister contracted Cancer. Her medical bills stretched almost into the quarter of a million dollars range. Her Insurance covered almost all of it. It would have gone higher, but alas, she died.

In short, if you have a million or so lying around, doing nothing....you dont need to care

There maybe a question of the morality of paying thousands and thousands on an illness that might well kill one, but that is for another thread.

Why should you care? Let me tell you something from personal experience.

My Sister contracted Cancer. Her medical bills stretched almost into the quarter of a million dollars range. Her Insurance covered almost all of it. It would have gone higher, but alas, she died.

In short, if you have a million or so lying around, doing nothing....you dont need to care

There maybe a question of the morality of paying thousands and thousands on an illness that might well kill one, but that is for another thread.



ok so my question is what is a premium?
why should it be high or low?
and what part does it play??

ok i will use my noggin and answer some of it by saying..
the premiums are, the price you pay for the initial insurance and the rate you pay monthly ..correct?
if you get sick, then the insurance pays for whatever your plan was...correct!
and if you cant pay the high premium on the insurance, one of two things can happen, you dont get all of your insurance to pay for your expenses, or you dont get any insurance at all!!

so my next question is..,how much is the premium for a mid range policy...and you tell me what is mid range..$100,000 or $500,000?

to be honest, i think much of the problem lies in the high prices you pay to go to the hospital!
does anyone know of the realistic value of treatmen and medicine in the hospitals..i dont think we do!

....ok i will use my noggin and answer some of it by saying..
the premiums are, the price you pay for the initial insurance and the rate you pay monthly ..correct?
They are the monthly payments.

if you get sick, then the insurance pays for whatever your plan was...correct!
Yes. Unless there are exclusions, like a pre-existing condition. Always know what your exclusions are and what will be your co-payment.

and if you cant pay the high premium on the insurance, one of two things can happen, you dont get all of your insurance to pay for your expenses, or you dont get any insurance at all!!
You don't get any insurance at all! However, some companies will give you a "grace" period.

so my next question is..,how much is the premium for a mid range policy...and you tell me what is mid range..$100,000 or $500,000?
If by mid range you mean the highest amount an insurance company will pay out until the policy is used up - I would say a million.
If you mean the monthly premiums all I can say is I pay $400+ for my wife and myself (monthly)

By just reading a few of the post within this thread, I became concern about the proposed National Medical Insurance: the 'saviour' of the Bahamian people health woes. It has been a few years now since it had been proposed by the PLP government, and still nothing.

Nevertheless, I am comfortable with that; as I am sure such things take a while, with preparation, wording, and implementation. But, my concern is this will it work? Are there any successful National Medical scheme out there? Will this proposed scheme run me and my already high financial obligation bankrupt. Should I just worry about my own personal medical insurance?

National Insurance was and is a terrific idea. But we all know that they are having some financial issues, at least that is what they are saying. How will I be sure that in 5 to 10 years, the powers that be, will not come to me again, (like how they have accosted me with National Insurance), demanding that I pay even more money, threatening with the looming fear of the Health Insurance scheme being bankrupt?

people dont you get it; it doesnt matter where you go, except for canada where there is free healthcare, it is all a scam (even in the USA, healthcare is a rip off). these insurence companies are the biggest bunch of crooks in fact all of these companies the banks, insurence companies, batelco, bec, cable bahamas, and even the government rob us blind on a daily basis. but what can we do, just open our wallets and let them dig deeper. :realmad: