Dear Editor,
The National Insurance Scheme was recently featured in two articles appearing in the Stabroek News dated March 29 (‘Pensioners getting raw deal from NIS – Ramkarran’) and Guyana Chronicle, March 30 (‘The NIS and pensioners’). Both articles dealt with issues relating to pensioners and highlighted some of the benefits that old age pensioners are not entitled to after age 60 years.
The issue of pensioners being entitled to certain benefits after age 60 years is not a new one.
The National Insurance Scheme would again like to reiterate the fact that the organisation is governed by the Laws of Guyana Chapter 36:01. The management is therefore mandated by law to operate within this framework.
Additionally, the National Insurance Scheme has been appealing to insured persons to ensure that all medicals are submitted to NIS, especially those obtained during a person’s working life.
Insured persons who do not adhere to these rules will not be guaranteed protection by NIS.
On the other hand, contrary to what was stated in the article in the GC: “As soon as an insured person attains the age of 60 these benefits cease. If consultation… [is] required, no help is forthcoming from the NIS… when such benefits are most needed,” an insured person can and will continue to receive Sickness Benefit/Medical Care Benefit from NIS after age 60 years, if he/she is so entitled.
As a contributor to the Scheme, an employed insured person pays contributions to cover him/her for short-term benefits, ie, Sickness, Maternity, Industrial Benefit and long-term benefits, ie, Old Age, Survivors, Invalidity Benefits. The self-employed person is entitled to all of the above with the exception of Industrial Benefit.
Medical Care benefit is not a benefit by itself; this benefit is only paid to the claimant once he/she would have satisfied the required qualifying conditions for Sickness (Regulations 23 (a)) and/or Industrial Benefits. It therefore means that once a person is so qualified, he/she will be entitled to medical care from the date of sickness/injury (incapacity for work) for as long as the need for such continues (Medical Care Regulation 2 (1)). It is under these regulations that a pensioner would be entitled to continuous Medical Care benefits.
For example, if during my working life I was suffering from migraines, made claims to NIS and have established a history of my condition, after I am retired, I can continue to claim for ‘Continuous Medical Care’ for the same condition.
One must not forget that at age 60, contributors stop paying NIS contributions. One must also remain cognisant of the fact that the Scheme is both a pension scheme which is funded by past contributions and a health insurance scheme which is actively funded through current contributions.
It is therefore imperative that employers, self-employed persons and employees alike, make a conscious effort to honour their obligations to the Scheme. Failure to do so can affect the Scheme’s ability to pay benefits thus defeating the purpose of social security.
On the issues of actuarial and other studies done in relation to NIS, please note that these reports are available to members of the public upon request.
Finally, the National Insurance Scheme has an open door policy and is also always available for dialogue with pensioners, contributors and the general members of the public.
Yours faithfully,
Dianne Lewis Baxter
Publicity and Public
Relations Officer
National Insurance Scheme
