PSA: Government owes public officers $80m in medical refunds

PSA president Leroy Baptiste is calling on government to pay into its medical plan over $80 million needed to pay public officers, including teachers, the funds it says the government owes them in medical reimbursements.

The Unimed Group Health Plan was established by the employer for both daily and monthly-rated employees in the public and teaching services. The plan is administered by a committee of representatives of the Chief Personnel Officer (CPO), Ministry of Finance, TTUTA and Public Services Association (PSA).

Speaking to Newsday by phone on Tuesday, Baptiste said the plan was government insurance that workers were obligated to use.

“The last count we had on the committee, in excess of $80 million is owed by the TT government on behalf of public officers, and by extension the teachers.

"So the problem is a simple one: the government is not paying monies into the plan so the plan could reimburse workers on time.

"The government deducts money from the public officers’ salaries every single month, whether they like it or not. In return, the government ought to ensure that workers’ claims, pursuant to this medical health insurance, are paid within the required two weeks.”

Baptiste said it was government’s inadequate funding of the plan that has led to the current situation.

“Our members are waiting in excess of two years to receive a reimbursement premised on their claims made on the plan. It (government) is going into people's pay routinely, monthly, taking out their money, and workers are getting nothing out of it in return.

“Try to imagine that, month reach, you lose money by virtue of a deduction that government takes from your salary. You would then expect, if you go to the doctor and you have to find all the money up front to pay for your doctor’s visit, you expect to get a refund when you make your claim.

So, he said, "We are calling on the government to pay in the money to the fund so people can get their refund on time.”

Baptiste absolved Unimed and M&M Insurance Brokers Ltd of blame.

“This is not a Unimed issue. M&M is doing a brokerage on behalf of the government of TT, but the plan is a government-funded plan. When the PSA would have signed a contractual arrangement with M&M/Unimed, it is that those companies would be the broker that manages the plan on behalf of the government.”

TTUTA president Martin Lum Kin said the union is contemplating its next course of action after demonstrating outside the Education Ministry on St Vincent Street, Port of Spain on Tuesday. The teachers protested to highlight the difficulty they are having in getting medical insurance refunds, now valued at over $34 million.

Speaking to Newsday by phone on Tuesday, Lum Kin said the demonstration lasted 45 minutes.

“No one came out of the ministry except for the head of the Health and Safety Department. He came to enquire what was the purpose of the gathering. No one else apart from him reached out to us.

“That’s fine, because the purpose of this demonstration was to highlight what our members are facing and to demand a management plan. We will continue to highlight through protest action.”

This was the third action by the union. Previously it held had a candlelight vigil in front of the Finance Ministry on August 12, and delivered a letter and picketed the office of the CPO on August 15.

Teachers are among the 30,000 members of the Unimed group health plan. The Government, as employer, contributes 60 per cent to the plan, and employees 40 per cent.

Lum Kin said claims are now backed up to July 2023, and fulfilling the claims would cost more than $34 million, as the amount increases as time passes.

“There has not been any improvement in the time frame for which the claims were made. There was a meeting which was called after the demonstration outside the Personnel Department, but no significant information was conveyed at that meeting. We gather that it would have brought attention to the issues at hand both at the top and local levels, so we continue to agitate.”

Lum Kin said the union was pursuing obtaining a copy of the memorandum of agreement between the government and the carrier of the plan, M&M Insurance Brokers. He said the terms and conditions would be reviewed to see what further action can be taken.

Minister in the Minister of Finance Brian Manning, when asked for a comment, said, “I have no comment to make at this time. The ministry will issue a release as soon as possible.”

CPO Darryl Dindial and Education Minister Nyan Gadsby-Dolly could not be reached by phone or WhatsApp up to the time of publication.