News

By Matt Maura Marsh Harbour, Abaco, Bahamas - The National Prescription Drug Plan will provide free medications for 11 chronic, non-communicable diseases to 35,000 Bahamians in its initial stage, Tami Francis, Drug Plan Project Manager said Tuesday.

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

On September 2, 2009, Prime Minister the Right Honourable Hubert Ingraham, tabled in the House of Assembly the report of the 8th Actuarial Review of the National Insurance Fund, which was completed and formally presented to Government in 2008. The Report, which covers a review period from January 2002 to December 2006, gives a comprehensive assessment of the current and future finances of the National Insurance Fund, and reviews the state of the country’s primary social security system from a social standpoint, assessing the adequacy and relevance of the level of benefits now offered. The Review, like all others prior to it, makes recommendations designed to strengthen both the social and financial aspects of the Fund to ensure that National Insurance is able to meet its obligations well into the future. It takes a historical look at past trends and experiences as well as makes financial forecasts for the future. Demographic and financial projections up to 2066 have been presented.

A “business person in Fox Hill” suggested in a letter to the Editor (What’s Going on at NIB? – Tribune 23/09), that with the recent move of Inspectors from the National Insurance Board’s Fox Hill Local Office to its Jumbey Village Local Office in the Clifford Darling Complex, the Board’s operations in Fox Hill will close down. According to Greg Collie, Senior Manager for Compliance with responsibility for the Inspectorate, nothing could be further from the truth. He said the Fox Hill Local Office is not closing down.