Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton indicated on Tuesday (December 13) that subsidy increases, including the addition of the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test and an increase to the Jamaica Drug for the Elderly Programme (JADEP) drug list will be implemented by the end of February 2023.

“These changes will help to support access to healthcare for the 350,000 active beneficiaries of the NHF Card and the more than 21,000 beneficiaries of JADEP. At the same time, Jamaican men over 40 years of age who are enrolled with the NHF Card will now have ready access to screening for what is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in our male population – prostate cancer to be specific,” said Tufton.

He informed that the NHF Card will now see an addition of 41 new active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) for the treatment of eight conditions, namely hypertension, heart disease, vascular disease, diabetes, psychosis, glaucoma, sickle cell disease and epilepsy.

He also noted that the Board has approved changes to JADEP, with five pharmaceutical items added for the treatment of five conditions – arthritis, asthma, glaucoma, hypertension and vascular disease.

“The subsidy on the PSA test is set at $1,600.00 per test, with a maximum allowance of one test per year. We have some 89,665 active male claimants, 40 years and older, who can benefit from this new addition… I say to these men, use the benefits to get tested; early detection saves lives,” said the health minister.

Opposition Spokesperson on Health Dr Morais Guy said the changes will go a far way in helping Jamaicans.

The changes, including the addition of the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test to the NHF Card Programme, are estimated to cost approximately $516.59 million per annum.

The addition of 41 new APIs for the eight conditions will cost $474 million per annum and the changes to JADEP will cost $42.59 million per annum.

To access these expanded benefits and others, members of the public can call the NHF at 1-888-DIAL-NHF (342-5643), visit www.nhf.org.jm or any of the 106 DrugServ locations for full-time and scheduled services at private and public health facilities islandwide.

READ:

• Dr Christopher Tufton | Increase in programme benefits for NHF cardholders and those on the  JADEP list  
• National Health Fund enrollment climbing