NMIRF turns to Teno for $6-M

The Northern Mariana Islands Retirement Fund Board of Trustees yesterday asked Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio’s help in securing some $6 million in funding so that it can retire its debt and set up the Group Health Life Insurance Program trust fund which will pave the way for the hiring of a utilization review firm.

In a letter to the governor, Board Chair Vicente C. Camacho said students abroad as well as local residents traveling have been having difficulty due to refusal by health providers to honor the CNMI-government issued card as a result of untimely payments made for services rendered to eligible members.

Mr. Camacho said a Honolulu-based company has been hired to study the feasibility of turning over a major portion of the GHLIP functions for them to manage.

The Hawaii Management Alliance Association will examine all medical billings, dispute, arbitrate and ensure that patients are treated for what they are diagnosed.

“It will relieve our office of the highly technical nature of this job, which we lack and would result in ensuring that our patients get the required treatment as prescribed by their doctors,” Mr. Camacho said.

Some 30 percent to 50 percent discount on medical services will be given to CNMI eligible GHLIP members. Since the company has nearly 30,000 members, HMAA can easily negotiate rates with health providers.

With the hiring of the Hawaii firm, members will carry a different insurance card that is widely recognized in the State of Hawaii and other places. The will no longer carry the CNMI government-issued card that many health providers refuse to honor, Mr. Camacho said.

However, the Fund must first set up a trust fund and a revolving fund to begin the process of hiring a company. Mr. Camacho asked the governor to give priority to NMIRF by identifying the revenue that will be tapped to get the program moving.

“We have done everything within our means to keep the program afloat from day one that it was transferred to the Fund. This we did despite the fact that the enabling legislation did not provide for even one cent of funding,” he said.

Mr. Camacho said GHLIP was transferred to the Fund without the necessary actuarial studies to determine the initial funding to get the program on the right track.

The Fund chair told the governor that NMIRF has already met the requirement of the House Committee on Education and Welfare to hire a review utilization firm before raising the $6 million.

Several draft copies of the contract have been made and ready to be executed depending on the availability of funds. Mr. Camacho said he is hoping that by Jan. 1, 2001, the Fund can issue to all its members a new health insurance card that would be recognized by private providers.