News

Prime Minister the Right Honourable Hubert Ingraham this week approved the request from the National Insurance Board (NIB), to close out the interim phase and begin the next, permanent phase of the Unemployment Benefit with effect from June 1, 2010. His authorization is in accordance with the Unemployment Benefit Regulations which allow for the Minister with responsibility for National Insurance to advise on the effective date of the permanent phase of the approved program. This new phase will afford unemployed workers the same level of coverage and benefit provisions as the interim phase, but with different qualifying conditions, and a modest increase in contributions.

By Jimenita Swain ~ Guardian Senior Reporter ~ jimenita@nasguard.com: Early registration for the National Prescription Drug Plan is expected to begin next week Monday, said Minister of Health Dr. Hubert Minnis yesterday.

Who is Eligible? In the first phase of the National Prescription Drug Plan coverage has been extended to three specific groups. These groups include NIB pensioners, NIB invalids and children under 18 (or under 25 if in full- time education). For persons of these groups to be eligible for membership in the Plan, they should have been diagnosed with one or more of the 11 chronic diseases covered by the Plan.

Last year, staff of the National Insurance Board (NIB) embraced the slogan “Excellent Customer Care Starts With ME!” At NIB’s 2010 Leaders Conference, held on Paradise Island in January, Director Algernon Cargill told leaders that the focus of this excellent care must not be limited to the external customer, but should be directed to the internal customers as well. To demonstrate his administration’s commitment to promoting the wellbeing of the internal customer – NIB staff – he announced a number of initiatives, including the establishment of a “Director’s Award” which would annually honor those individuals whose outstanding achievements, dedication, leadership, customer service and expertise would have made a significant impact on the organization and its mission over the previous year.

Top Managers and Customer Service staff of the National Insurance Board received a detailed briefing Tuesday on the National Prescription Drug Plan (NPDP) which is expected to be launched by April 2010.

The National Insurance Board (NIB) wishes to address and correct “facts” advanced by the Nassau Institute in a letter to the Editor, published in the Nassau Guardian of Saturday, September 19, 2009, and referenced in a Tribune article on September 21, 2009. In that letter, the Nassau Institute incorrectly suggested that National Insurance is proposing an 84.1% increase in taxes