Bangarang: The dominance of two major health insurance players
Published:Thursday | July 3, 2025 | 12:06 AM
THE EDITOR, Madam:
Jamaica’s health insurance landscape is dominated by two major players, leaving us stuck – “anywhere yuh turn, macka juk yuh.” My employer switched providers five years ago, only to face significant annual rate hikes. A 100 per cent increase four years ago was crippling, and a recent 25 per cent hike, though smaller in comparison, still hurts. We are trapped, as the alternative provider – our former one – now charges even higher rates. We are between a rock and a hard place.
Insurers prioritise profits, hiking premiums yearly. But shouldn’t they care about those they insure? The numbers are stark: doctor’s visit coverage has remained the same at $2,200 for four years, while the fees for doctors’ visits rose from $2,000 to $3,500 and the combined optical and dental coverage has been a meagre $17,000, forcing one to choose between optometrists and dentists each year. It is a cold, unfeeling, unempathetic travesty. As Miss Lou would say, “Bangarang!”
H. JOHNSON