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From:TheBahamasWeekly.com Health
Freeport, Grand Bahama, The Bahamas – Persons in Grand Bahama who enroled for NHI Bahamas are being matched with Primary Care providers and are starting to receive care. The progress of NHI Bahamas was marked today by one of the first patients in Grand Bahama visiting their selected doctor and receiving care at no cost at point of service. Phase three of NHI Bahamas – Primary Health Care Coverage – is officially underway and is making health care more accessible to Bahamians across the archipelago. “We are seeing great support from Grand Bahamians who are excited that the day has come where they can start receiving care under NHI Bahamas. There have been doctors from across the island who will serve communities including Freeport, Eight Mile Rock, Hawksbill Creek, High Rock and the West End, to ensure local residents have access to quality, affordable care,” said Peter Deveaux-Isaacs, Permanent Secretary for National Health Insurance. After launching the enrolment phase of NHI Bahamas on April 24th, over 2,600 residents of Grand Bahama have enroled and selected their preferred doctor. Physicians in Grand Bahama who have registered to provide Primary Care services under NHI Bahamas have received payment and are now starting to see patients they are being matched with. “As a Primary Care provider I feel privileged to treat some of the first patients in Grand Bahama who can now access care under NHI Bahamas. This is an important programme that will help relieve the burden of medical expenses associated with primary care for Bahamians,” said Dr. Renee Lockhart, general practitioner and sole proprietor of Seahorse Family Health Centre in Freeport. “It feels great to have access to NHI Bahamas. I had insurance for many years and each year it progressively increased to a point where I had to let it go. NHI Bahamas adds a level of individuality and you have a primary care doctor whom you can identify and build a relationship with. I am excited about this because it is a very encouraging first step,” said Andrea James, who was among the first patients to receive care in Grand Bahama under NHI Bahamas. The Primary Care phase of coverage will cover many services, including doctor visits, screening for various medical conditions, lab tests, diagnostic imaging, ultrasounds and x-rays, vaccinations, various medications, and much more. The full Primary Care benefits package can be found online at http://www.nhibahamas.gov.bs/whats-covered/. The NHI Secretariat would also like to remind Bahamians that enrolment for NHI Bahamas is ongoing. To encourage more Grand Bahamians to enrol, the following popup enrolment locations will be set up in Freeport: Port Lucaya Marketplace, Building #4, Unit 3 near Prestige Perfume – 10am-2pm (Friday, May 12th) Circle Mall – 9am-3pm (Saturday, May 13th) Persons in Grand Bahama and the Family Islands can also enrol online or in-person at their local NIB office. Additional information on NHI Bahamas can be found at www.nhibahamas.gov.bs. Contact the NHI Secretariat: Email: info@nhibahamas.gov.bs Phone: 396-8500
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