Bryan op-ed urged Virgin Islands shift to self-insurance to address healthcare costs

Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. argued in a Sept. 12, 2025, opinion piece that the U.S. Virgin Islands should move to a self-insurance model for government health coverage to address rising healthcare costs.

In the op-ed, Bryan said the government already bore the full cost of healthcare as plan sponsor under its fixed-cost model, while premiums continued to rise and coverage declined. He said a self-insurance approach would keep healthcare dollars within a structure designed to pay claims rather than insurer profits.

Bryan proposed using a protected "lock box" structure to reserve funds for claims, comparing it to the way certain government revenues are set aside to meet bond obligations. He also said stop-loss coverage could protect the government from catastrophic claims.

The governor cited Guam as an example of a U.S. territory that adopted self-insurance for government employees and dependents after facing similar cost pressures. He said the Virgin Islands shared economic and geographic constraints with Guam and could follow a similar path.

Bryan said the proposal should be evaluated through studies, data and expert guidance, and framed the issue as one of affordability, financial control and stability for government employees, retirees and public institutions, including hospitals.

Official source: https://www.vi.gov/op-ed-why-the-virgin-islands-must-take-control-of-rising-healthcare-costs/