Health Minister Emil Lee with representatives of the Health Tripartite Committee (VSA Ministry, SMMC and SZV).
PHILIPSBURG–The Health Tripartite Committee is taking measures to revamp and optimise Social and Health Insurances’ (SZV’s) international medical referral procedures and has commissioned the services of consultancy firm Grant Thornton to assist in this process.
The committee consists of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Social Affairs VSA, Social and Health Insurances SZV and St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC). Patient care efficiency, cost control, technology, and quality regional care contracts are to be part of the new plans.
Grant Thornton has been commissioned to provide support for the restructuring of the international medical referral process and a tender to procure medical care from medical institutions abroad. Tripartite members have been collaborating for several years on improvements, Health Minister Emil Lee said on Wednesday.
The entire medical referrals process is being revisited and analysed to determine points for improvement, bottlenecks in efficiency, and cost. The new plans may include that committees are installed to review the submitting and approval process of referrals, the appeals process, post-referral process and optimising patient care and rehabilitation locally. A comprehensive look at the feedback system of local and international care delivered will also be included.
The tender to procure medical care from institutions abroad will be for currently contracted parties as well as new health care service providers in the region. Quality of care, price and other criteria will be included as the committee and Grant Thornton establish the terms of reference for the tender procedure.
It is the intention that the restructuring of the medical referrals process will enable patients to get more care locally; for example, access to rotating international specialists, telemedicine and improved communication between local and international specialists. The result of the revamp will improve patient care, reduce medical cost, help SZV safeguard the funds and improve collaborations between local and international specialists, Lee said.
Grant Thornton is a global consulting firm with an extensive international network. The Grant Thornton consultants assigned to the project are Anco Ringeling and Roban van Herk. The latter is a consultant in Aruba with a focus on healthcare. Ringeling has extensive experience in the healthcare sector as a long-time director of AZV and was involved during the start of the national health insurance in Aruba. He has knowledge of the challenges that health insurances face, such as international medical referrals.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/85205-szv-s-medical-referral-process-being-revamped
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