Minister of Health Zane DeSilva said reforming Bermuda's health care system will require everyone to compromise.

Bermuda currently spends more than 29 OECD countries on health care per head yet 20 countries have a longer life expectancy. When comparable dollars are taken into account Bermuda spent $4,959 per person on health care with an average life expectancy of 79 years in 2007/2008.

The US was the only country to spend more than Bermuda. Despite this countries such as Canada, which spent 20 percent less than the Island, had a life expectancy of 81 years. Portugal had the same life expectancy as Bermuda but spent 40 percent less. Bermuda Health Council CEO Jennifer Attride Stirling, who compiled the above data, and several other speakers at the Health Financing summit, explained that the current heath care system was unsustainable. They said a more efficient and cost effective way must be found.

The cost of health care has risen by 12.6 percent every year for the past six years and accounts for 9.2 percent of Bermuda's Gross Domestic Product.

Speaking after the summit Mr DeSilva said health care costs are being driven by utilisation, demographics and new technology.

He added the Island faced challenges in the future due to an ageing population and a relative decrease in the working population supporting the retiree population.

"We have talked about possible solutions," he said. "But there is no silver bullet. There is no single approach that will allow us to cure all the ills in the system.

"We must not rush to conclusions, but be realistic that solutions will require compromises from all stakeholders."

The Minister said ways to reduce cost included reducing the need for people to go overseas for health care, using generic drugs as well as focusing more on wellness and prevention.

"Developing a national health plan and reviewing the standard benefits, the legally mandated benefit package would improve the system," he added.

Shadow Health Minister Louise Jackson said she believed the Government needed to scrap the current system and start again.

"We have a system where the haves get well and the have nots get sicker," she said. "We have people on HIP who cannot afford care, we have people on FutureCare with cancer who cannot afford to pay 20 percent of their overseas costs so they cannot go abroad for the health care they need.

"We need to scrap HIP and FutureCare and start again, we need one system that is fair to everyone.

"You can have private health care but we need to have a fair system. We need to have the same health plan for everyone.

"The summit was very short on solutions, they didn't offer any in a meaningful way. They talked about being more efficient with resources, but they didn't really say how."