Government’s vow to reopen the Medical Clinic drew whistles and applause from those present for the reading of the Throne Speech.But Age Concern director Claudette Fleming sounded a note of warning last night about “the potential of creating a two-tier system”.The seniors’ advocacy group has never favoured the Medical Clinic concept for this reason, she said.“We would have to know more about the planning behind its re-establishment, like the specific demographics of people it is planned to serve, its location and financing, and the numbers of people needing its services given the high rate of unemployment,” Ms Fleming said.Otherwise, she said it was tough to tell whether or not the Medical Clinic could actually work.Ms Fleming noted the time and money already devoted to the National Health Plan and questioned how much had been wasted in pursuit of “a concept that may not be properly thought through”.Yesterday’s Throne Speech also included a promise to bring FutureCare insurance premiums into line so that policy holders pay the same for the same benefits.Ms Fleming told The Royal Gazette that more detail was needed.She asked: “Is the Government saying that those who previously paid the lower rate will have to pay more? Or will those who pay the higher rate have to pay less? Or will there be a middle ground?“One would hope however, that policymakers will avoid putting further financial strain on any level of policy holder as most, if not all, subscribers have the product because private insurance costs are prohibitive. There’s a time for balancing the books and there is a time for compassion. Let’s see how good the current administration is at striking a balance between the two.”She said she was unimpressed with a plan to mandate that doctors only prescribe generic drugs unless the name brand is specifically required.“I don’t see this statement as being anything new,” she said.“Most pharmacists practice asking consumers and doctors to use generics anyway. Mandating the practice may or may not make the situation any better and will bring with it its own level of bureaucracy with respect to monitoring and enforcement.”