News
Miller Calls on Government: Write off of Unpaid Medical Bills
Following his calling out of the Government on its wholesale amnesty for owners of unlicensed vehicles, Mr. Ezzard Miller, in his capacity as an Elected Member for the North Side Electoral District, has called upon Government to continue its generosity by writing off outstanding medical bills for categories of Caymanians over 60 years of age.
“I invite Government to write off all medical bills owed to the government by Caymanians over 60 years of age and who are subsisting on incomes below the minimum wage, are on government poor relief, or who do not have adequate health insurance coverage, Mr. Miller said.
In some instances, elderly parents have died leaving their dependants, some of whom are in dire financial circumstances, to pay the inherited bills, he said.
“Government, with its $100 million surplus, is in a financial position to help these, the neediest in our community, especially when we consider the critical ramifications of ill health and the vital nature of access to health care,” Mr. Miller said.
In conjunction with his appeal to Government to come to the aid of these categories of persons burdened with bills they cannot handle, Mr. Miller said he is calling on government to terminate the contract with the law firm that is threatening people with court action, in some cases in pursuit of a few hundred dollars.
Further, Mr. Miller says, according to reports, in some instances the claimed outstanding billing cannot be authenticated and people are being unnecessarily harassed.
‘This includes persons who had already paid the bills but are being pursued because of poor recording-keeping or oversights at the HSA, including failure to bill insurance companies within the six-month statutorily required period,” Mr. Miller said.
“I am therefore calling on Government to comprehensively write off these medical bills for Caymanians over 60 in the categories identified.
“As such, I hope that this will absolutely avoid the favouritism practised by successive governments in forgiving hand-picked individuals’ bills while others in the same position are pursed mercilessly,” the MLA said.
