Insurance bosses offer initial backing to health plan
Major insurance companies have backed Government’s National Health Plan, but say the challenge will be in properly designing and implementing it.According to John Wight, president and CEO of BF&M Insurance Group, there were some practical elements of the plan that still needed to be better understood.This includes how uninsured individuals, currently about five to ten percent of the population, would pay for monthly premiums, and the repercussions if they don’t.Mr Wight said he had yet to meet with the Health Minister to discuss the plan, but from his initial reading said BF&M was “fully supportive” of the necessary reforms.“My overall response to the [plan], again based on an initial reading of it, is that it includes many important goals, that if designed and implemented effectively, after considering input from all important stakeholders, will result in lowering the health inflation for Bermudians and improve health care delivery.“My concern with a couple of specific goals, such as the move to proportional contributions, is that while appealing in theory, may not align with the overall goal that the Ministry is looking to achieve.“I am also unclear of the role of local insurers in assisting the Ministry in its objectives,” he said.The National Health Plan 2011 was recently unveiled by Health Minister Zane DeSilva to ensure equity and sustainability in the Island’s health system.It proposes to reset the founding values and principles of the Island’s health care system.Through 11 goals, implemented over the next two to six years, it expects to ensure quality health care can be affordable and accessible to all residents.The most significant reform proposed is to make health coverage contributions based on ability to pay.Mr Wight said he was a “firm believer” that local insurers needed to remain competitive in order to meet the service needs of the Bermudian market.“Reducing competition amongst local insurers will in our opinion not serve Bermudians well,” he added.The CEO said dialogue was needed to understand the mechanics of how coverage contributions would work, but said it appears people may be required to declare their income to be used to rate the new premium.“We can see this additional administrative burden adding to the overall cost of employees premiums,” he explained.Health insurance premiums have traditionally been rated based on the claims experience or health of the group or individual, he explained.Therefore it is a “drastic change” to base it on income levels rather than health, Mr Wight added.“From a broader perspective we are concerned that the important messages from the Ministry and local insurers relating to the importance of wellness through exercise and improved diet, may be compromised if Bermudians change their mindsets that premiums will be based on income levels rather than heath.”Gerald Simons, president of The Argus Group, met with Minister DeSilva yesterday to discuss logistics of the National Health Plan and said he likely had more information than other stakeholders.He said it was “much too early to answer questions about the detail”, but added: “The challenge will be in the implementation”.Mr Simons commended the plan for being “well-written”, setting out some of the Ministry’s broad over-arching goals and encouraging health promotion, which aligns with Argus’ mandate.He said all parties were very concerned about the rate of increase in health care costs, which had increased at an unsustainable rate of eight to nine percent annually between 2000 and 2009.“During the recession we are seeing people reduce their level of coverage and cancelling their insurance all together.“If someone doesn’t renew their insurance policy they will end up going to the emergency room of the hospital when they are very sick instead of seeing their GP early in the sickness when they can be [more easily] treated.”Mr Simons said it was important to remember that 15 reports had been written since 1996 on health care, yet none resulted in significant changes in health care and insurance.“So clearly we need to do something different if we expect different outcomes in the future,” he said.“It’s in everyones interest to get health care right because we all have friends and relatives that do not have adequate coverage. So it will be a challenge but it should be solvable.“It’s a common thread we need to work together to solve.”
The mother of two brothers battling to get conscription outlawed has told of her pride that they've inherited the “fighting spirit” of their late grandfather — legendary politician and lawyer Arnold Francis.
Bermudians Against the Draft (BAD) members Tekle and Seth Ming have refused to serve in the Regiment and are supporting the campaign group's Supreme Court bid to get mandatory military service declared unconstitutional.
Mr Francis, a founding member of the Progressive Labour Party and later a United Bermuda Party politician, died on January 25 aged 88.
His eldest daughter Fikrte Ming (née Jennifer Francis) told The Royal Gazette: “My last conversation with my father over the phone was about his grandsons.”
She said she told her father the two young men, who applied to be excused from military duty on the grounds that they were conscientious objectors, were willing to go on hunger strike for the cause.
“We had a long conversation about that,” she said. “Of course, he was kind of concerned. He doesn't want them to go through any kind of strife.
“I said 'Dad, they have to do what they have to do'. I said 'you have been there with the struggle and stuff'. He said 'I hope everything goes in their favour'.
“Knowing how things go in Bermuda, he probably wasn't too optimistic but I think he knew they had to do what they had to do.”
The Harrington Sound Primary School teacher said her father, the PLP's first parliamentary leader, always stood up for what he believed in. “I think he instilled that in me and I'm instilling that in my sons. That's where they have got this fighting spirit from.”
On January 14, Tekle, 28, an air conditioning installer, had his application to be considered a conscientious objector denied by the Defence Exemption Tribunal, along with Shaki Easton.
No ruling was made on the same application by construction worker Seth, 24, or James Famous, on the grounds that they had never physically shown up at Warwick Camp so the tribunal did not have authority to decide if they could be conscientious objectors.
Government has agreed not to arrest the four conscripts before March 17, when BAD lawyer Eugene Johnston's legal bid to fight his own Regiment call-up is set for mention in the Supreme Court.
Mr Johnston claimed during this week's Supreme Court case that members who claim to be conscientious objectors have not been given fair hearings by the exemption tribunal.
He said several figures involved in the tribunal have ties to the Regiment and its members are appointed by the Governor, who is head of the Regiment. They are also paid by Government.
“The exemption tribunal is not independent and impartial,” claimed Mr Johnston.
Yesterday, Government lawyer Shakira Dill refuted that suggestion. She pointed out that several members have no history of military service.
“Judges themselves are appointed by Government and remunerated by the Government purse,” she said, adding that no one questions whether they are impartial.
