According to The Nassau Guardian, another study has been commissioned "to advance National Health Insurance (NHI)".
Meanwhile, the Minister of Health, while proudly announcing the study did not have the cost of completing it available for the Bahamian taxpayer.
Of course the public treasury has already borne the cost of the "Blue Ribbon Commission Report" and who knows what other "studies" successive governments have commissioned on the taxpayer’s behalf about this subject.
When this discussion first started, before the Blue Ribbon Commission Report was presented in 2006, The Nassau Institute offered a brief analysis of socialised medicine in general during December 2003 for consideration.
Then in 2006 The Nassau Institute released an analysis of the Blue Ribbon Commission’s proposal and examined other policy options. Prepared by Nadeem Esmail of The Fraser Institute, it left no doubt that the Blue Ribbon Commission was designed to achieve a political objective and nothing more.
In addition to these, The Nassau Institute was fortunate to have Dr. Michael Walker of The Fraser Institute, arguably the world’s foremost authority on the subject laid out for Bahamians what they can look forward to if The Blue Ribbon Commission’s plan for health care is followed back in 2007.
We remain hopeful, paraphrasing comedian Fred Allen, that this new study will be another "gathering of important people who singly can do nothing, but together can decide that nothing can be done."
