Hundreds of "shortchanged seniors" have been left out in the cold by Government's new FutureCare plan, according to Shadow Health Minister Louise Jackson.

She told the House of Assembly yesterday that the health insurance scheme was a "total, total disaster for all" and was not properly thought through before it was launched at the start of this year.

Mrs. Jackson spoke out during a debate on an amended piece of legislation which Government has had to table to ensure that seniors ineligible for FutureCare have access to basic health care insurance.

Health Minister Walter Roban explained to MPs that after FutureCare was launched — with about 3,100 seniors allowed to sign up for the first phase — a number of private health insurers stopped offering affordable plans for seniors.

"That's why we are here today," he said, as he presented the Health Insurance Amendment (No. 2) Act 2009. "There is no affordable insurance product for seniors who are not in phase one of FutureCare."

FutureCare was one of the PLP's 2007 election promises, with Premier Ewart Brown pledging that it would "make the dreaded prospect of health care insecurity a thing of the past for our senior citizens".

But when it was launched in April, membership was restricted to those 65 and over who were already in the state Health Insurance Plan (HIP), anyone turning 65 after January 1, 2009 and persons 65 and over deemed to be "indigent".

HIP was then closed to seniors — but the amendment will mean they can sign up for it again. Mrs. Jackson said that was scant compensation to those elderly people who would like all the benefits of FutureCare.

"They are going to have to pay $241.15 a month for HIP," she said.

"They are not going to get overseas treatment, they are only going to get four doctor's visits a year and it goes on.

"In other words, they are getting much less than FutureCare. With FutureCare you have unlimited doctor's visits, you have overseas care, you have prescription drugs up to $2,000 a year. If you are in FutureCare you only have to pay $260 a month."

Government's shortsightedness and failure to work out the figures properly, alleged Mrs. Jackson, was the real reason an amended piece of legislation was being brought before Parliament

She said the decision to phase in FutureCare without telling the Island's 8,300 seniors how they could be eligible for the first phase had left many people "very anxious and confused".

And she said Health Ministry permanent secretary Warren Jones recently told her that some seniors would never be able to join FutureCare.

"This is a disaster," said Mrs. Jackson. "We can't have hundreds of people out there who have been promised guaranteed health care now out in the cold."

Mr. Roban began his presentation of the bill by saying a "small segment of detractors" had sought to spread misinformation about FutureCare. But he insisted that it was "performing to expectations".

The Minister revealed that the Bermuda Health Care Council is to be removed and a new committee set up to oversee FutureCare, HIP and the Mutual Reinsurance Fund, describing the current position as a conflict of interest.

"It would be like Belco getting to decide rates or if any other companies could enter the market," he said.

"They will play a role in advising the Ministry. It would be a bit much to ban them from even looking at the issues."

FutureCare would instead be operated by a Health Insurance Committee, consisting of the CEO of the Bermuda Health Council, the Permanent Secretaries of health, finance and financial assistance, a public officer responsible for health insurance and two people, one experienced in the medical field, the other in the insurance industry, who are not public officers.

The bill was passed unanimously.