Health care costs must be addressed, says Mottley

The rising costs of health care throughout the Caribbean is a matter that deserves the urgent attention of CARICOM governments and stakeholders in the regional insurance sector.

That was the view put forward by Opposition Leader and Political Leader of the Barbados Labour Party, attorney-at-law Mia Mottley, as she referred to the demand that the escalating costs in the health sector is putting on governments across the region and the world. Her comments came as she spoke at the 41st annual awards presentation and banquet of the Barbados Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (BARAIFA) last Saturday night, at The Crane Resort in Barbados.

“The truth is, access to technology has made each and every citizen aware of the options for treatment care, and because we only have one chance at this thing called life, we’re going to fight and fight and fight to do everything to keep ourselves healthy or alive,” she said.

Mottley added, “The costs of health care have definitely galloped at a rate that is more than any other sector, there’s no denying that. But that we should sit down as innocent bystanders, without recognising that within our midst locally and regionally lies the creative genius for us to address how we can resolve these issues, is what perhaps is the greatest crime.”

The Opposition Leader said she is of the firm belief, as is the Barbados Labour Party, that the insurance companies of the region, along with the national social security agencies of the region, and the governments, should come to the table and work out how best to ensure that every citizen has access to affordable quality health care. Should the decision be made to go this route, Mottley said every health institution would be able to receive sufficient funds to keep the quality of delivery at the highest level, and ensure that where the reinvestment is necessary, it is also possible.

With that in mind, Mottley said it is a matter that BARAIFA can put before its regional association, to work urgently with CARICOM and CARICOM governments, as it is not a problem that is going to go away. The Opposition Leader’s remarks came as she maintained that such a collaboration is not beyond the capacity of a region that has produced noble laureates in economics, which has robust insurance companies and strong social security schemes.

“We have done it in respect of natural disasters and catastrophes because of the spate of hurricanes that we have had in this region. We need to do it for health insurance and perhaps even house insurance, particularly for wooden houses, where the incidence of loss of property becomes as devastating as we see almost monthly in this country,” she pointed out.