Shadow Health Minister Michael Dunkley has renewed his call for local insurance companies to consider offering financial incentives to Bermudians who lead healthy lifestyles.

Expanding on comments made in the House of Assembly on Friday, Mr. Dunkley yesterday pointed to similar programmes offered by companies in countries like Canada and the UK as a way forward for the Island?s health insurance sector.

British company PruHealth, for example, has recently begun offering discounts to those clients who make fewer claims, with their website conceding that those ?who look after themselves? should be ?rewarded for their efforts?.

?We have an excellent insurance system in Bermuda which has served us very well,? Mr. Dunkley said.

?And I am not suggesting that we reinvent the wheel here. But we as a party made the decision some time ago that given the affluent nature of our society, where people have a significant level of disposable income, we have to start looking at ways in which we can encourage people to lead healthier lifestyles and take better care of themselves.?

At present, Mr. Dunkley said, it is unfair that a health conscious individual, who shuns drinking and smoking and takes regular exercise, should have to pay the same health insurance premiums as somebody who smokes and leads a more sedentary existence.

?This is not a novel idea and has been carried out with some success abroad,? he continued.

?But we have to look at what is going on regarding the cost of health insurance and the fact that we are currently putting far too much pressure on our health care facilities.

?If somebody could be offered a substantial discount on their annual premium given a year without a health insurance claim, we believe this would have a significant impact.?

Meanwhile, president of the Bermuda Health Insurance Association Gena Bradshaw offered a cautious response, saying only that no concrete policies would be pursued until ongoing research within the local industry had been concluded.

?The idea of offering financial incentives to people who lead healthy lifestyles was something we started looking into at the beginning of the year,? she said.

?People already possess a preventative healthcare policy as part of the overall package, but I cannot say anything concrete until the idea has been comprehensively reviewed.?