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BARP addressing high medical costs for senior drivers

by Marlon Madden
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Seniors in Barbados are not pleased with growing costs associated with annual medical check-ups needed for them to maintain a driver’s licence.

However, President of the Barbados Association of Retired Persons (BARP) Marilyn Rice-Bowen said while the association would be seeking a “reversal” of the requirement, she would do what she could in the interim to help them cope.

As such, BARP has formed a partnership with the mobile medical service Urgent Care Mobile, to give its members an opportunity to access medical services at a highly discounted rate.

The partnership was formed as BARP celebrated its 25th anniversary on October 25. Under this partnership, qualifying members will be able to have their medical check-ups, which will last about 20 minutes, done by appointment only. These will be conducted every Wednesday at BARP’s Hastings, Christ Church office.

Rice-Bowen said on Thursday that she decided to work with Urgent Care Mobile following concerns about the cost of doing medicals and the fact that the island had a growing aging population.

A medical check-up could cost in excess of $100.

“In the Eastern Caribbean, Barbados has the highest percentage of over 65-year-olds. And because of this, we then have to ensure as BARP, that we include this silent but growing market in our plans. We recognize that in order to extend the benefit platform to our members we need to partner with corporate Barbados, thus the partnership with Urgent Care,” she said.

Rice-Bowen said she was aware of the complaints of the seniors, especially those over 75, who said they found it “inconvenient” to meet the annual requirement.

“They are of the belief that the licensing authority should revisit that decision and even reverse it and allow them to have medicals every two years. We have not yet taken it up as an organisation but it is something we can look into,” she said.

“So we are fixing things incrementally. The first one is the cost. After that we will approach the authority with a view, seeking to get a reversal. It will remain a front burner issue,” she promised.

Managing Director of Urgent Care Mobile Bandele Majeks said while he understood the concern and frustration, which sometimes “feel like discrimination”, he believed the annual check-ups were necessary.

In fact, he said doing the annual check-ups could be a blessing in disguise.

“A lot can change within a year and I find that doing these medicals give us the opportunity to pick up on subtle changes that are happening with your body over time,” he said.

“While at age 70 we are still young, as we get older, the reality is that you may not notice sometimes the changes your bodies are going through and by the time you recognise the changes – dementia is a particular one – it is too late.

“Another point to this is that we also notice in our population we tend to be afraid to go to the doctor and a lot of the older members of the population, in that 60 to 70 age group where there is nothing pressuring you to go to a doctor, you will find that several years have passed before they actually see a doctor,” he explained.

However, Majecks said he agreed that medical costs for seniors should be affordable, especially during the current economic downturn.

“I would actually encourage other practitioners to give some consideration to perhaps working with the older population to try to make these medicals more affordable,” he suggested.

He said it was a good opportunity for his four-year-old company to partner with BARP.

Pointing out that the majority of Urgent Care Mobile’s patients were those above the age of 65, Majeks said a mobile service remained “much needed” across Barbados.

He reported that since the COVID-19 pandemic affected Barbados in March this year, he had seen a “sharp increase” in the number of patients activating the services from home.

“It not only allows privacy, but it allows you to be seen in the comfort of your home without the risk of being exposed,” he said.

Under the partnership the seniors will receive a general examination, coordination and balance, visual and hearing tests, and they will be immediately issued with their medical certificate. (MM)

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