National Health Insurance program coming to San Pedro, Ambergris Caye

Area Representative Honourable Andre Perez stated that the National Health Insurance (NHI) program will be implemented in San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, this year. This program will offer island residents the opportunity to obtain medical services from healthcare providers working with NHI at a fraction of the price.
This program, implemented in Belize City, southern Belize, and recently in Orange Walk Town in northern Belize, benefits low-income families. To register, residents need their social security card. Area Representative Perez said San Pedro is next, and his office is engaging with the NHI office and submitting maps to strategically locate areas in the community where the program can be implemented. “The studies are occurring right now, and NHI is coming,” said Perez. “San Mateo will be one of the main beneficiaries of NHI.” The program expansion will eventually reach every municipality across the country.
The program, spearheaded by the government, works with local healthcare providers. Both the Minister of Health and Wellness, the Honorable Kevin Bernard, and Prime Minister Honorable Dr. John Briceño, have expressed excitement about the expansion benefiting thousands of Belizeans. According to the Honourable Bernard, NHI allows patients, like pregnant mothers and women, to get medical tests, such as mammograms and ultrasounds, at reasonable prices. “This is to make sure we have access to better healthcare. That’s the commitment of this government,” said Bernard.
Prime Minister Briceño explained that the financing of NHI is through revenues from the national lotteries. The lottery, popularly known as Boledo, was recently nationalized, and its revenues are directed to NHI. The government added that lottery revenues will also fund sports, charitable sectors, and other social needs. The MOHW noted that it was a great moment for Belizeans and encouraged people to register to access the program.
The NHI initiative started in 2000 and was designated an integral part of the Health Sector Reform process through an amendment to the Social Security Act. A pilot project was launched in southside Belize in August 2001 and has successfully expanded throughout the years. According to the NHI office, one of the main drivers of the reform process was the move towards universal health coverage for all Belizeans. The reform, as it pertains to NHI, promoted the separation of the key functions of the regulator (MOHW), provider (healthcare providers), and purchaser (NHI) of health services. These services must meet specific standards matching performance indicators negotiated in the contractual process. The NHI office has applied mixed healthcare delivery models, including the participation of public, private, and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) providers.
This program is considered an accomplishment that could not have been possible without the participation of all the relevant stakeholders. These include the Government of Belize, the Ministry of Health and Wellness, the NHI Committee, the Social Security Board, the NHI Unit, the registered providers (private, public, and NGOs), and the program’s beneficiaries.