SENATOR Celina Roberto Babauta, D-Saipan, recently returned from Chuuk, FSM where her resolution, APIL Resolution No. 40-GA-08 was introduced at the 40th General Assembly of the Association of Pacific Island Legislature in Weno, Chuuk. The APIL General Assembly was held from Oct. 16 to 20, 2023.
The resolution proposes to bring the concept of the military healthcare insurance known as TRICARE throughout Micronesia and the governments represented in APIL.
Member governments of APIL include American Samoa, the CNMI, the FSM State of Chuuk, the FSM State of Kosrae, the FSM State of Pohnpei, the FSM State of Yap, the Territory of Guam, the Republic of Kiribati, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Nauru, the Republic of Palau, and the State of Hawaii.
“The military health insurance commonly known as TRICARE is an excellent model for our region. Whatever locale a service member is stationed in, whether in Germany, Italy or the United States, they have global healthcare coverage. Similarly, if this proposed program were implemented, whether you are in Palau, Marshall Islands or the CNMI you will have the coverage you opt for,” Babauta said.
“A service member on active duty, is paying a monthly premium of $9 for health insurance for their family on TRICARE PRIME which is the highest option available. Children are covered until 23 years old provided, that they are enrolled in college on a full-time basis. Now, bring that concept to our entire region and I am confident that everyone will see a dramatic savings in their cost of healthcare insurance. That is what I hope to achieve through this resolution,” she added.
“With the funding shortfall for the Group Health and Life Insurance (GHLI) in the CNMI budget, this is one of the solutions to the increasing trend of healthcare spending while addressing our shared challenges in the region. I mean let’s face it, spending for healthcare has been increasing long before the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Babauta.
Unsustainable
The CNMI government pays for 100% of the retirees’ premiums for an annual total of $19 million and a percentage of the active employees’ premiums amounting to approximately $11 million per year.
“Our government cannot sustain this overhead without finding alternatives to alleviate the financial pressure,” Babauta said.
She hopes to “make access to healthcare for our Micronesian, and to a greater extent, our APIL region attainable, by bridging the gap through a universal coverage similar to TRICARE and sharing the cost of healthcare.”
Her resolution was well received and adopted on Oct. 19, 2023 by the full body.
Celina Babauta
