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Published On: Thu, Dec 28th, 2017

Consumers Coalition SXM issues statement on SMMC tariffs increase

Raymond Jessurun on SMMC price increasePhilipsburg — The Sint Maarten Consumers Coalition consisting of the Windward Island Chamber of Labor Unions (WICLU), the Sint Maarten Seniors and Pensioners Association (SMSPA) and the Sint Maarten United NGO Federation (SUNFED) are requesting the SMMC, the Minister of VSA, the SZV and the private insurance companies to inform them about the new tariff structure approved for SMMC, about what will be the real price increase and what will be the impact on the premiums for the Sint Maarten Consumer.

Last week Friday, three days before Christmas and one day before the long weekend of Christmas started, the Sint Maarten Medical Center in a press release informed the general public about an increase of the tariffs of the hospital as of January 1, 2018.

According to the SMMC director Kees Klarenbeek, the SMMC “gift” for the community is an expansion of the services of the SMMC so that we do not have to travel abroad for medical referrals.

The co-coordinators of the Sint Maarten Consumer Coalition Alberto Bute and Raymond Jessurun this morning visited the SMMC to look for the new tariffs, but without success. The cashiers had no list and the receptionist also could not provide us with the information. In a conversation with Dr. Holiday, the medical director, we were promised to receive the new tariffs via email from the finance manager of SMMC.

In the press release of SMMC the “gift” has an unknown price tag.

The only thing we can gather from the press release is that as per January 1st the insurance companies SZV and the private insurers will have to pay a higher tariff for the Services SMMC will provide. What will be the price increase percentage was not mentioned.

According to the press release the Ministry of VSA and the Social and Health Insurance company SZV apparently have already agreed to “buy” the SMMC tariff increase.

But in a conversation this morning with the Director of SZV Glenn Carty, the co-coordinators from the Sint Maarten Consumer Coalition were told that SZV was not yet informed about the new tariffs Minister Lee had approved. Mr. Carty assured that if there is an increase in SMMC tariffs, for now SZV premiums will not be raised, as SZV was in a trajectory to increase the compliance which could then absorb the SMMC tariffs increase.

In a conversation Mr Jessurun sustained with a spokesperson of one of the private insurance companies, SMMC is threatening not to accept any medical card or guarantee letter from private insurers if they do not “buy” the pricy SMMC “gift” of a 41.8% tariff increase as of the first of January. Their insurance company cannot absorb the 41.8% tariff increase without raising the premiums. In other words all workers not insured with SZV will have to pay more premium. How much more is not yet known.

In the beginning of 2016 in an article published in the Daily Herald, Minister Lee said that he would not allow a SMMC price hike that would impact SZV and the consumers. So who is going to pay the SMMC price increase for PP-card holders and government employees? The Minister of VSA nor the minister of Finance has asked the Parliament for a budget increase to pay for he SMMC “gift” for the PP-card holders and government employees. When will the taxpayers feel the tariff increase for these persons in our society? After elections or now already in January?

The questions are:

  • Did Minister Lee issue a Ministerial Decree on the new tariffs of SMMC?
  • Can SMMC legally raise the tariffs without a ministerial decree from the Minister of Public Health?
  • What is the effect of the SMMC tariff increase of 41.8% on the premiums of the Sint Maarten consumers and the contribution of Sint Maarten tax payers to the health care bills at SMMC of pp-card holders and civil servants?
  • What if compliance trajectory at SZV after Irma will not be effective, will the premiums at SZV for private sector workers increase, and with how much?

Before the first of January these questions should be answered especially by Minister Lee the Minister of Public Health or in his absence the Minister of Tourism and Economic Affairs Transport and Telecomunication or by Prime Minister Boasman.

drs Raymond Jessurun
Co-coordinator Sint Maarten consumers Coalition






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