No plans yet to introduce specific regulations to cover private health insurance

There are no plans at the moment to introduce specific regulations to cover private health insurance in Fiji.

This was highlighted by the Permanent Secretary for Health Philip Davies who says that health care is important and health care is different from other goods and services.

Davies says a higher priority might be to look at the impacts of increased uptake of private health insurance and hence private health services on our public hospitals and health services.

He says regulation generally comes into play when a market is not working properly.

He says Health care costs can arise unpredictably unlike most other things we buy, we may not be able to plan for the costs of an urgent operation, or an expensive course of medication.

Davies says Health care can be expensive and in developing countries, paying large health care bills and is one of the most common causes of poverty.

He says that people are better off paying more tax so they help to pay for health services used by those who are less well-off and make most services available free of charge for everyone.