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Pensioners Call for MBS List to be Extended
By Tahna Weston,
Antigua Sun
Antigua
September 8, 2005
The Antigua & Barbuda Pensioners Association is reiterating a call for the Medical Benefits Scheme to expand the list of illnesses it covers.
During an interview with the SUN, Hunte said the current list needs to be extended to cover more common illnesses among the elderly.
The MBS currently provides free medication to people affected by nine illnesses.
They comprise cancer, diabetes, asthma, sickle cell anaemia, leprosy, cardio vascular diseases, certified lunacy, glaucoma and hypertension.
Hunte said, "the Pensioners Association has been for some time asking for certain illnesses, which are more akin to people when they grow old or aged, to be added on to the short list of illnesses that the medical benefits covers."
He said diseases, such as acid reflux and arthritis, which are very expensive to treat, should be added to the list.
Hunte also wants to see eye, nasal, ear, dental and throat problems embraced by the scheme as conditions for which the MBS would seek to provide the elderly with medical assistance. But, at the same time Hunte would like the scheme, instead of carrying eight and nine different sets of medication for one particular listed illness, carry two or three, at the most, per illness.
This would facilitate the MBS, according to Hunte "in carrying lower inventory of drugs ... at least curtailing the cost of buying all this large amount of drugs, which might not be used.
At the same time they should give out some of these other drugs, which they would normally carry to certain pharmacies, but these pharmacies should be allowed to pull them in duty free; much the same way as they (the MBS) do.
So when the pensioner or old person goes to the MBS pharmacies and they present their prescription and they have them (the medication) at medical benefits ... yes they can get them. But if they don't have it just stamp it, and they (pensioners) could go to another pharmacy and if they have it, that pharmacy should be able to let the pensioner access that prescription for free."
Hunte suggested if this is done each month-end the pharmacies could then submit a bill to MBS and be reimbursed.
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