Prevention more rewarding than cure, Barbadians told

Barbadians who practise preventative healthcare are entitled to an annual tax rebate, says Ministry of Health and Wellness official Danny Gill.

However, the healthcare finance commissioner though he didn’t state a reason, told those present at a virtual health seminar on Tuesday night that this monetary incentive, which is an attempt to promote the wellness of the population, was going virtually unclaimed.

“Currently when you are doing your taxes and you have done throughout the year medicals, you’ve been visiting the doctor and various other things, you can claim $750. And I know that a lot of people are not claiming it but right now you can do that,” he maintained.

Gill was among a panel at a virtual seminar titled: The Impact of Private Insurance and Public Healthcare Financing in Barbados, hosted by the Barbados Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (BARAIFA).

Among those touting the adoption of more preventative measures to wrestle government’s bloated health bill, was panelist and former BARAIFA director Roderick Nurse. The insurer stressed that preventative care benefits offered through private insurance were voluntary, therefore the onus was on the individuals or the administrator of the human resources department to remind people to take advantage of it.

“It seems to me that when you have team work, as a team player, even though the incentives are provided, it takes that extra push to get people to do it. It is there but we have to do a little bit more for people to use it,” Nurse stated.

President of Barbados Association of Medical Practitioners (BAMP) Dr. Lynda Williams also emphasised the need for renewed efforts towards preventative treatment. With an estimated 58 per cent of the country’s health budget going towards treatment, Williams stated that a new public health model where prevention is the focus was vital.

She continued: “The cost of dialysis and those types of things show us why prevention is very important. We have to look at whether or not we have to look at a central financing model particularly for preventative healthcare. I think that is the way to go and we have to look more toward prevention and putting our money in the primary care system where we prevent people from going on to the complication of things.”
(KC)