News
Bill to MERGE aspects of NIB and NHIP tabled, No Mixing of Money
Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TurksandCaicos, November 14, 2023 – There will be no mixing of money between the National Insurance Board (NIB) and National Health Insurance Plan (NHIP) even as they merge certain services, says Arlington Musgrove, Acting Minister with responsibility for Insurance.
Musgrove was speaking in the House of Assembly on November 7th as he tabled the bill to set up the National Insurance Shared Services (NISS).
Described as convenient, practical, and efficient the new system will streamline payments for residents and will allow the Boards of the NHIP and NIB to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the purpose of creating the proposed combined service collection agency.
The Government claims that the shared payment services will improve customer service and reduce redundancy.
Registration- residents will be able to sign up for the NHIP or NIB online or in person a single time. Once they are registered for one service they will automatically be registered for the other.
Payment – payments for both institutions can be made at any of the offices removing the need to travel back and forth to make separate payments. And making payments more convenient for residents on the sister islands who would otherwise have to travel to Providenciales.
Compliance – Inspectors from one agency will be able to undertake investigations into non-payment for both agencies.
Some concerns were raised in the house about the mixing of funds and the potential for layoffs but Musgrove maintained there would be ‘No redundancies!”
The Acting Minister also stressed that while the NHIP and NIB would be working together on collection funds and financial operations would remain strictly separate
Other concerns raised by members included the wide language of the bill which Alvin Garland, Opposition Appointed Member pointed out left it open for the NIB and NHIP to sign any MOUs that they see fit once it would be beneficial to the agencies not just the MOU establishing the NISS.
Matthew Stubbs, Elected Member for the Bight also said there were some kinks to be worked out in the bill, foremost being an increase in operating time for the agencies to make visits more convenient for residents.