More people to get better access to free healthcare

| 08/07/2021 | 23 Comments
CaymanNews Service
Cayman Islands Hospital

(CNS): All clients of the Needs Assessment Unit are being given access to healthcare via the Health Services Authority’s CayHealth Programme. Since 2010 when it was first launched, CayHealth has covered only a limited number of clients through the NAU, a subsidiary of the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), but now the programme is being expanded to include everyone receiving care through the unit.

With the cost of healthcare in this population group rising rapidly, and with high cost, high risk healthcare conditions common in this group, officials said efficient and cost effective care was needed.

Healthcare costs for indigent Caymanians who don’t have health insurance is usually covered directly by government, which is spending tens of millions of dollars every year picking up the hospital tab. The CayHealth programme aims to cover these people by improving access to care at an earlier stage by pairing individuals with a primary general practitioner who will provide ongoing quality medical care, maintain their medical records and assist them with referrals for additional care.

Those on the programme will also have the benefits of accessing care at the health centre in the district where they reside and have the healthcare team at those centres coordinate access to specialists and overseas care if necessary.

“Selecting a district health centre and a preferred general practitioner will facilitate more personalized care,” Director of Primary Health Care and Medical Officer of Health Dr Samuel Williams-Rodriguez said. “Having a personal physician who knows your complete medical history will help to improve your medical condition and consistency of care, especially if you have been referred overseas.”

Over the coming weeks, all those whose care is provided through the DCFS will receive personal correspondence advising of the assignment to a primary care physician (PCP) and further details on the programme, Dr Williams-Rodriguez added.

Clients on the Sister Islands will access care from any of the five physicians at the Faith Hospital, and assignment of a preferred general practitioner will be decided based on the physician from whom medical care is usually received.

See more about how CayHealth works here.


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Category: Health, Health Insurance, Medical Health

Comments (23)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Nobody pays the HSA anyway, what’s the point?

    • Cough up says:

      7.33pm I do, but I never see anyone else paying for treatment In fact the CINICO line get served a lot quicker.

  2. Anonymous says:

    Pantoncare

  3. Anonymous says:

    Bottom line affordable, efficient, reliable and accessible healthcare should be available for everyone. We just need to figure out how to make the processes transparent, how it can be funded, managed, audited and advocated.

    Perhaps raise SIF contributions, request insurers and other private entities to provide % of their annual profit or mandate the civil service to make salary contributions like everyone else who has the privilege of working here.

    Nothing in this life is free, it all comes at a cost either from our purses or our health. Let’s simply face facts, treat people as we would like to be treated and work together to care for our country.

  4. Say it like it is. says:

    Whatever Govt spends on health care for indigent Caymanians, it’s a drop in the ocean compared with the bill for our thousands of civil servants and all their dependents.

  5. Anonymous says:

    It really doesn’t matter whether they are non-caymanian or not. The social services “crutch” should only be for the really needy. There are societal drop-outs on the list. Why should a certain category of these get gifted the opportunity for free health care?

    • Anonymous says:

      Umm, our laws emphasize and require that should expatriates be unable to support themselves, they should leave. Our economy depends on certain resources being reserved for Caymanians.

  6. Beaumont Zodecloun says:

    Nationalise CINICO. Make the payee base broader, and more fair to those who aren’t part of Civil Service. Less cost and greater benefit for everyone, assuming the fund can be honestly and efficiently maintained.

    • Anonymous says:

      Nationalise CINICO. Its already nationalised. It was set up as a Government company. (And loses money every year because no one who has it would choose it.)

  7. Anonymous says:

    Should they also be mandatory vaccinated. Yes.

  8. Anonymous says:

    NAU first needs to get rid of many young people on their list who are quite capable of working. Also any Status holders who swore they could maintain themselves and family but are now on the dole. Status should be revoked and they sent home.

  9. Anonymous says:

    This should be extended to all 60+ citizens.

    • Anonymous says:

      Agreed. All permanent residents (excluding Wp holders) should be entitled to free healthcare from the age of 60. Including cover for pre-existing conditions. How are we supposed to afford the insurance premiums and co-pays on our paltry pensions?

  10. Anonymous says:

    How many hundreds of non-Caymanians are being supported by this?

    • Anonymous says:

      Thousands, as per an FOI. Thousands, and many on work permits, with no work and employer cannot afford health insurance.

      • Anonymous says:

        All in breach of a Cayman law but no one gives a damn. It is as if all our law enforcers were Jamaican, not Caymanian, and are more concerned for persons from other countries than Caymanians.

      • anon says:

        10.38pm Show us your FOI, for sure none of them are getting stipends, which in some cases are paid to Caymanians who have another paid job.

    • Anonymous says:

      Ah crap, I forgot human beings who aren’t lucky enough to be born in a particular country don’t deserve the right to healthcare.

      • Anonymous says:

        No. Just the human beings that were admitted entry to the Cayman Islands on the promise that they would be responsible for their own healthcare, and further on the promise that they would not become an economic burden on the community.

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