Shadow Health Minister Kim Wilson has challenged a Government move towards pre-certification for medical testing, calling it an “unnecessary and dangerous” practice.

While Government has said the move would help tackle the high cost of healthcare on the Island and prevent patients from undergoing unneeded tests, Ms Wilson argued that cost cuts must not be made at the cost of patient’s lives.

“Forcing patients to wait for permission for medical diagnostic tests ordered by their physician while a separate body determines whether it should be performed creates added potential risks,” she said.

“The added layer of bureaucracy being proposed by the OBA will likely result in delays in patients receiving the treatment being recommended by their physicians; physicians who have repeatedly objected to the OBA proposal.

“There are many other ways in which health care cost can be reduced, ways that would not interfere with patient safety.”

Earlier this week, Government announced that it was putting out a Request for Information (RFI) seeking health experts to create a pre-certification system for medical testing. According to the statement issued by the Ministry of Health, Seniors and Environment, the ministry is looking for “information and creative ideas for solutions to implement, manage and operate a system to provide pre-certification of diagnostic medical testing for Bermuda’s health care system”.

The statement said pre-certification is intended for select medical imaging procedures, specific clinical laboratory test orders and orders with a cumulative value above $300. Orders by specialists and diagnostic testing for emergencies would not have to be pre-certified, but self-referrals will be subject to pre-certification.

Health Minister Jeanne Atherden was quoted in the release as saying: “Pre-certification will promote the delivery of quality health care in a cost effective manner, improve standardisation in the ordering of diagnostic tests, and reduce unnecessary utilisation of and duplication in diagnostic testing (both medical imaging and clinical laboratory tests).”

Responding yesterday, Ms Wilson said that diagnostic imaging amounts to less than two percent of health care costs on the Island, arguing that there are other areas where the Government can look to reduce costs without risking patient health.

“With the hospital representing the single largest item relating to health care costs, surely a prudent Government would look there first to eliminate areas of waste and unnecessary spending as opposed to concentrating their efforts on an area which will see little savings whilst at the same time interfering with the health and well-being of Bermudians,” she said.

“A Progressive Labour Party Government would look to the manner in which local insurance companies are operating with respect to all matters affecting heath costs. As we all know, competition drives down the cost of goods and services and as such considerations ought to be given to allow the introduction of larger international insurance companies which could not only drive down costs but could also prove the difference between life and death.

“Health care in Bermuda is expensive and costs must be cut, but not at the risk of patients’ lives.”