Check your health cover

March 7, 2008

Dear Sir,

I read with interest the article in the Tuesday, March 4 edition of The Royal Gazette on the LCCA. I agree with the comment from a family practitioner who said that it is up to individuals to finance their health care needs. I just wanted to add a few points that I see as an administrator for a local insurance company.

First of all, there are a lot of individuals walking around who have insurance but are under-insured, which in times of crisis can be just as bad as having no insurance at all. In my opinion, HIP is just not enough for anyone, but especially for a young person in their prime. Also, some insurance companies offer different levels of insurance, i.e basic and comprehensive. One shouldn't assume that they have comprehensive major medical because they may not. I've had plenty of situations where I've had to inform people that the coverage that they have isn't what they think it is, and they are stunned at the news. This sometimes happens when people work for small businesses. They just assume that their employer provided them with an insurance plan with all the bells and whistles, when it may not be so. I say assume nothing. When your policy is approved, the insurance company will issue you with your health policy and inside your policy should be a benefits schedule of some sort. Read it. It will tell you what benefits your policy gives you. I wish I had a dollar for every person who has told me over the years that they just tucked their policy away without reading it, and never gave it another thought until something came up.

I have often had to deny a benefit and the client asks where is my compassion. The thing is that I do have compassion for them – I'd be heartless not to feel for someone who has a serious condition and no way to pay for the care they need. I've had people ask if we could act as guarantor and they'd sort it out when they return from hospital or if I could put the claim through as a service that's covered instead of what it's really for. Then they don't understand why I have to say "no" but people have to understand that insurance companies treat contracts like the Holy Bible. They don't sway from them because insurance companies never make decisions that could come back to bite them with litigation or with their reinsurers, and also because they don't want to set a precedent. So even though we have compassion for people, our hands are tied if individuals don't adequately cover themselves.

Also, another problem that I see all too often is people who think health insurance is just a waste of money and don't bother to buy any while they are young and fit. Then years down the road they're diagnosed with cancer or some serious illness and they run to the insurance companies looking to be covered. In many cases, by then it's too late and most insurance companies refuse to take them on and they can't understand why not. They think they can come in and pay one month's premium of a few hundred dollars, and the insurance companies will be generous enough to then pay their thousands of dollars of health claims. The reality is that the insurance companies are not running social programmes; they are running businesses. If they allowed this to happen as a matter of routine, they would quickly go belly-up. In the rare cases that an insurance company does take a person on with some kind of serious disease, the chances are that they will not allow the client to claim on that pre-existing condition for a set period of time, e.g. after a waiting time of six months. By that time the patient could have racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars in bills. Also, as much as I hate to mention colour, as a black Bermudian I feel obligated to mention that it's us blacks who tend to think health insurance is unimportant more so than whites – even though in many instances we're less able to pay out of pocket for treatment.

People especially need to make sure that they have major medical coverage. A lot of the time the average person doesn't give a thought to the huge costs of health care in the United States where most Bermudians are sent for treatment. It is tremendously expensive. We look at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital which is more of a community hospital that treats everyone and then looks to recoup the money afterwards and think this is the norm.

In overseas hospitals, they will not let you set foot inside until they have some kind of pre-approved guarantee that they will be paid. They are a business and they are looking to make a profit, not lose money and they are not prepared to be generous with their services. Also, if someone takes seriously ill here without proper coverage and needs to be air ambulanced, the same rules apply. It costs approximately $15,000 for an air ambulance to medivac someone overseas. That air ambulance is not taking anyone anywhere until they are assured that the journey and the treatment you receive while onboard is going to be paid for. If an air ambulance is needed for someone, then you can be assured that it is a life-or-death situation and time is of the essence.

You can't afford to have your loved ones scrambling around trying to find a guarantor for the journey and the admittance to hospital overseas. That's a terribly stressful burden to put on them.If someone doesn't have insurance, the chances are they don't have any assets, and if no relative steps up to the plate to say I take responsibility for these bills, then I can tell you with almost 100 percent conviction that you will just lay down at King Edward and hope for the best. Either they will stabilise you enough that you hopefully recuperate or you will pass away. If this sounds harsh, I'm sorry but that is just the reality of it whether anyone will admit it or not.

I say don't wait until you get sick to make sure you have the coverage you need. If your employer has only provided you with HIP (which is all they are required to provide you with by law – many people don't know that), then all the employees can come together and ask the employer about the possibility of upgrading to major medical with the employee paying the difference in premium. I don't see any reasonable employer refusing that. The other thing to consider is if you think you can't afford to pay an insurance premium, ask yourself how in the world you would pay thousands upon thousands in medical expenses if something happened to you. Don't wait until you're sick to try to get insurance. However if you do develop a medical condition and decide to try and get insured, don't hide it from the insurance company. Some people do that and think they're home free, but insurance companies are really good at sniffing out hidden information when the claims start rolling in – trust me.

For example, if you don't mention that you have diabetes and they start getting claims for insulin, you can bet they're going to start asking questions. They have the right to cancel your policy if they can prove you have hid pre-existing medical conditions from them. Just lay your cards on the table and hope to at least get the policy issued with either the waiting period I talked about, or by having to pay a higher premium. However, being proactive is the key. People think it's a waste of money to pay a premium every month while they're healthy – they feel 'ripped off' if nothing happens.

Don't look at it like that. Look at it as making a unique investment in your future health care. I always look at having proper health insurance like this: thank God if you're lucky enough to never need to use it, but also thank God that it's there waiting for you in case you ever do.

SEEN IT ALL

Hamilton Parish

Use Crime Stoppers

February 23, 2008

Dear Sir,

We noted once again the Bermuda Police Services are pleading for witnesses to come forward to identify those who may have been involved in several murders that have taken place on the island.

In addition, Minister David Burch is on an overseas recruitment drive to boost their manpower. There is also a suggestion that undercover cops from overseas are being considered, as locals very quickly can identify those in the police service with or without a uniform.

Somewhat different from Community Policing where the authorities hope a bonding takes place to build confidence between the police and the public. Not to forget the parents of the perpetrators may now have to face the courts. This is a controversial proposal that is bound to come up against strong opposition.

We understand witnesses no longer have to face those that they can identify as a new mirrored system is in place. However, what has happened to the much talked about 'witness protection' programme. Is this now thought unrealistic due to the size of the island? Or will it be necessary to change our laws so that written statements can be used instead of a confrontation in the courts where the world knows those who had the guts to reveal their observations?

Not to say that Canada has a better system than ours but we have listened to crime reports in British Columbia and at the end of each story they 'always' include Crime Stoppers as another way to contact the authorities by not becoming directly involved. Incidentally every Police car (pictured) has a Crime Stoppers number on the back of the vehicle. We have also observed the number of this world-wide organization is on the front page of The Royal Gazette on a daily basis. Is the system working in Bermuda? Obviously not in some cases? Is there enough money being offered and do people need further encouragement to report crimes? Only a few questions the Minister might want to consider.

During the meantime we support the police and the ministry who urge those that have any knowledge of violent crime to come forward. You may be the next to be shot as an innocent by-stander!

TOPPY AND SAUNDRA COWEN

British Columbia

Editor's Note: The Royal Gazette provides the Crime Stoppers number at the bottom of virtually all stories concerning major crimes.

Obama and offshore

March 12, 2008

Dear Sir,

Re: Obama taking aim at Tycos of the world.

The Bermuda Government is in serious denial if they think Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama will not outlaw the abuse of US reinsurance companies who use Bermuda as tax shelters. Whether you want to admit it or not, Bermuda is the "poster child" for American corporations who "cheat" on their taxes.

An Obama victory in November and a Democratic landslide combined with a US economic recession will spell the end for Bermuda's TIEA (Tax Information Exchange Agreement).

Congress will pass the Obama sponsored "Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act" and the reinsurance companies will have to leave Bermuda.

Why? Because it is immoral for Bermuda offshore tax havens to evade paying US taxes which unfairly shifts the tax burden onto the backs of hard working American middle class families.

The Bermuda Government needs to take it's "head out of the sand" and to start planning now for a Bermuda without US reinsurance companies.

JOHN LUNDIN

Lahaina, Hawaii

Heroes for all

March 12, 2008

Dear Sir,

There has been much discussion about Heroes Day lately. Personally I'm not sure Heroes Day is the right name for it and I don't think it should be another holiday. I tend to associate heroes with war more than with politics but if that's what they want to call it, fair enough. So who are our heroes? It appears that we are starting with Dame Lois, I don't disagree with her as a choice but what about others before her?

I will risk the hails of derision from some regular contributors to this paper and suggest Sir Henry Tucker. I would argue that he probably had the biggest influence in shaping what is now one of the world's premier (pardon the pun) economies, yet, to my knowledge he has not been mentioned. As he clashed with Dame Lois in the House on a regular basis perhaps the two of them should be nominated together.

There are others of course but my concern is that we are very much on a political one way street at the moment. If people genuinely want The Big Conversation to take place and be a success then we must be inclusive of all Bermuda. If Dr. Brown really wants us to believe that he has the best interest of all of us in mind then these heroes should represent a cross section of our history, black, white, Portuguese and Mohawk, we all have our 'heroes' and each is as valid and important to us as the others.

ALAN GAMBLE

City of Hamilton

Seats were reserved

March 10, 2008

Dear Sir,

On February 6, 2008 my wife and I attended the "Take Six" concert at the Fairmont Southampton Princess thanks to the kindness of my wife's employer who gave her two complimentary tickets.

When we arrived, many of the seats were taken, but the row of seats to the left of the centre aisle was almost completely empty. (I refer to the seats furthest away from the stage.)

We decided that these were good seats and promptly sat in the two end chairs. We were seated for approximately thirty seconds when a blonde lady approached us and said to us (and not in the kindest manner) "You can't sit there, these seats are reserved". No problem, we simply moved to the main seating section.

The next day, my wife learned that the tickets which we had were in fact for "reserved" seats, so you can imagine our dismay upon this revelation.

I have told this story to many of my friends and they all believe that if we were a white couple this never would have happened. I am going to give the blonde lady the benefit of the doubt and put the incident down to one of ignorance rather than racism.

I do hope, however, that the blonde lady who asked us to move will read this letter in the hope that in the future, she will simply ask, "May I see your tickets?"

SHORTCHANGED IN SANDYS

Missed the champagne

March 6, 2008

Dear Sir,

I do agree with Rene Hill's tasteful review on Watson's Organic and Brunch's Hydroponies Champagne Brunch at the Southampton Farmland on Sunday, March 2.

However, I didn't get a sip of any champagne, the early birds must have, I was one of the late meandering sheep, and all that was left was the delightful organic Banterra Vineyard Wine. Loved those organic eggs.

D. ARRISION

Devonshire

Extend Arts lease

February 25, 2008

Dear Sir,

To The Corporation of Hamilton:

It is with puzzlement that I learned of your proposal not to renew the lease for the Bermuda Society of the Arts.

As a first time visitor to Bermuda, I have been impressed by the vibrant and active community of artists and photographers. The crowd that came to the opening of the "Artists Voices" on February 22 is evidence.

As I understand it, one of the aims of the BSoA is to "maintain the primary gallery of visual arts in Bermuda". It seems to me that it is imperative that the BSoA keeps its profile as central to the cultural life of Bermuda, and to be easily accessible to its citizens and visitors. From my past experience in other jurisdictions who have reduced their support for nonprofit organisations, activity was directly diminished.

I have not come across the reason for the Corporation of Hamilton to not renew the lease in City Hall for the Bermuda Society of the Arts. I expect the bureaucracy needs the space as Bermuda and Hamilton grow. If this is the case, I would suggest that the Corporation of Hamilton spread itself and its services throughout the city, thus better serving the population.

I urge the Corporation of Hamilton to reconsider its intention to not renew the lease for the Bermuda Society of the Arts, but rather to renew, and even extend the lease and continue its support of this important cultural agency.

MARIN SINN

Perth, Ontario