The territory’s Health Reform Implementation Task Force is asking residents to provide input on their healthcare experiences as it nears completion of an intensive outreach campaign to gauge the feasibility of establishing a health insurance exchange, or a marketplace for individuals and small businesses to purchase health insurance. 

Since late October, representatives of the Task Force have made a targeted effort to seek the input of many of the territory’s sub-populations, to include the homeless, senior citizens, residents ages 18 to 30, medical providers, and the Hispanic and French Creole communities. Through the use of public outreach meetings and the media, the Task Force is capitalizing on numerous opportunities to encourage Virgin Islanders to be involved in improving the territory’s healthcare system and also to gather data that will be used to determine whether a health insurance exchange is the best option for the territory. 

Feedback from the meetings is providing valuable information that will be used to shape health reform initiatives throughout the U.S. Virgin Islands. According to Task Force Coordinator, Taetia Phillips-Dorsett, a lack of access to health insurance has been a primary complaint among many of the residents who have participated in the outreach meetings held to date. “Across the board, Virgin Islanders have expressed their concerns about the unavailability of health insurance, which combined with the costs of healthcare, presents a challenge to many,” she stated. 

Listen to Taetia Phillips-Dorsett's speak about health reform .mp3 (1MB)

Data collected through the public meetings also suggests that residents would like additional support to help them navigate the health and social services system, with the goal of a one stop-shopping experience. In addition, early feedback indicates that many residents who do not have private insurance are not eligible for Medicaid, thereby creating a gap population that is uninsured.

The public outreach meetings are an outgrowth of the territory’s Health Reform Implementation Task Force, which was created by Governor de Jongh in June 2010 by Executive Order, to guide the territory’s implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Through the meetings, the Task Force seeks to educate the community about the Affordable Care Act and solicit feedback about the current state of the healthcare delivery system. 

Lieutenant Governor Gregory R. Francis, who serves as Chairman of the Health Reform Implementation Task Force, thanks everyone who has participated in the meetings thus far. “Community input is a key component of our efforts to implement the Affordable Care Act and is critical to helping us to gain more insight into the challenges encountered by Virgin Islanders in accessing healthcare.” Francis is hopeful that residents will continue to actively participate in the activities planned as part of this historic initiative to reform healthcare and share their opinions with Task Force representatives. 

The public is invited to participate in the following upcoming activities: 

• St. Thomas Call-in Radio Programs on December 20, 2011
• St. Thomas Office Hours on December 20 from 2:30-5:30 pm (Downstairs Offices of the St. Thomas/Water Island Administrator’s Office)
• St. Croix Call-in Radio Programs on December 22 and 23
• St. Croix Office Hours on December 22 from 2:30-5:30 pm (Government House, St. Croix); 
• St. John Office Hours on December 28 from 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m (St. John Battery).

Virgin Islanders are also encouraged to complete an online survey about the territory’s healthcare system. Both the survey and a full calendar of the remaining public outreach events can be found at www.governordejongh.com/healthreform or call (340)693-4313 for additional information.