Cayman General Insurance Company is the first of a series of insurance companies to be threatened with a lawsuit from the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority.
A writ of summons was filed in Grand Court yesterday giving Cayman General Insurance 14 days, beginning Thursday, to satisfy a claim of $791,966.44.
HSA claims in the papers that Cayman General has refused to pay the Authority for services rendered to Cayman General clients in the way of health benefits.
If Cayman General fails to meet the demands of the summons, the Authority may proceed with legal action.
Steve Scott, chairman of the board of HSA, said the writ filed against Cayman General is the first of many to come.
‘We’re no longer going to just sit and write them letters. We are going to take action,’ Mr. Scott said.
Keith Myers, legal counsel for HSA, said the problem with Cayman General and other insurance companies has been going on for a long time.
‘The insurance companies are in non-compliance with the law. We’re at their beck and call,’ Mr. Myers said in a meeting with the Caymanian Compass and Mr. Scott.
Health insurance companies owe HSA $3,836,706.52, as of 24 April.
Only $197,000 has been paid to HSA in insurance money in the past two months.
‘That’s all,’ Mr. Myers said. ‘We’ve billed $2 million. If we don’t collect our money, not only have they deprived us, but we can’t turn around and invest it.’
At this point, many health insurance cards may soon be regarded as worthless in the eyes of HSA.
‘We take the card in good faith. You pay your insurance every month in good faith, but the insurance companies aren’t paying us in good faith,’ he said.
No patients have been denied health care, he said. And they won’t.
‘We haven’t denied anybody, but by the same token we expect to be paid.’
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