Charles Jeffers, deputy chairman of Age Concern, reserved judgment on the Government’s efforts to to help senior citizens.

Curtis Dickinson, the Minister of Finance, pledged during his Budget Statement on Friday that a National Health Plan will soon be unveiled to lower the cost of insurance coverage for all Bermudians.

Mr Dickinson said the plan aimed “to reduce the cost of health insurance for citizens, for employers and for seniors”.

He added: “Reduced health insurance rates will mean more money in the pockets of Bermudian families and that is the goal of this transformational reform.”

Mr Jeffers responded to the minister’s pledge: “We will wait and see.”

Mr Dickinson said the $700 million spent on the health system annually should be enough to give residents the healthcare they need.

He added: “But we need to be more efficient about how we utilise these funds.”

He pointed out that the care of adults with intellectual disabilities and mental health or psychiatric problems is often the responsibility of the Government because they do not have next of kin.

Mr Dickinson added: “Bermuda does not have the social services infrastructure to care for such individuals and the Government currently funds, through the Ministry of Health, two individuals at an overseas institution as there is no local capacity to meet their needs.”

Mr Jeffers said he hoped the Government would find “acceptable and plausible solutions” that would allow seniors to access better healthcare.

He said seniors would like better access to prescription medicine and general insurance.

“Anything is better than nothing. We are hoping the Government will come through,” he said.

Mr Dickinson said the Ministry of Health would take steps to reform the Financial Assistance programme to improve its financial sustainability and assure a more equitable allocation of awards.

He said: “Measures have been identified to improve efficiency to prevent the need for additional funding.”

Mr Jeffers said the level of Financial Assistance could be improved for seniors if the Government could reduce the number of able-bodied people receiving help.

He said: “I believe the best way to improve Financial Assistance is to lessen the assistance given to able-bodied people by providing jobs.”