PHILIPSBURG:--- The Paramedic Association Sint Maarten (PASM) comprising of physical therapists, dietitians, speech therapists, occupational therapists, and kinesio therapists would hereby like to inform the general public, that due to another severe delay of payment for OZR cards, as of Monday, November 1st, ALL OZR card carriers will have to pay out of pocket for the abovementioned therapies.
We are once again facing a backlog of payments, as we did in July 2021, and wish for a sustainable payment system to be made immediately. The clinics are not able to cover their costs and this is significantly detrimental to providing quality care for all of our clients. As previously mentioned, this is not the first time that the clinics are left in the dark about the prospective payout while still giving care to the community; this issue predates hurricane Irma.
We have reached the end of the line and cannot continue to work on credit any longer during this difficult time. The members of PASM have decided to stop accepting the OZR cards unless the VSA ministry can create an immediate sustainable solution that will guarantee consistent payment which will allow us to continue accepting the OZR card.
PASM regrets having to come to this decision, nevertheless, we see no other way forward to help remedy the current situation while continuing to give care to the community.
