Questions have been raised about the daunting task of applying for Financial Assistance now that former Medical Clinic patients must apply to be placed on the Government's Health Insurance Plan (HIP).

In an attempt to understand the process, The Royal Gazette sent reporter Robyn Skinner to Global House to apply for assistance.

For those who take the step to apply for financial assistance the decision is no laughing matter as a box of tissues sitting on the pre-screening desk will attest.

Chantel Smith, a calm quiet manager in the Department of Financial Assistance assured me that the process can be quite humiliating and distressing for many.

However, she said the staff try as hard as possible to be helpful — filling out applications for those who cannot read or write, even visiting seniors and the disabled in their homes for ease.

"Family members can apply for them or we can even go to them to do the assessment," Ms Smith said, "We are very sensitive to the needs of seniors and disabled.

"We try to assist as much as possible."

Concerns about applying for Financial Assistance were raised by former medical clinic patients who expressed their dismay over how intrusive the process can be.

One patient even said she may not bother with applying because she is so distraught at the form which requires a signature from her landlord therefore letting him know she may be on financial assistance.

While Dianna Taylor, the Director of Financial Assistance, is sympathetic to these concerns she is also a realist and makes no excuse for delving into people's personal affairs.

"These services (free medical care) were being abused by those going to the clinic, she said, "Most who apply for financial assistance are honest and fair, but we have to be sure.

"A worker will have to make one mandatory visit to see who is living at the residence and make sure you are at the address you said you were and it has the number of rooms you stated."

To that end, the Department requires anyone applying to sign a Client Declaration Form, which then binds the applicant to all of their statements.

Should the person have lied on one of the seven required forms they are subject to suspension of assistance, according to Ms Taylor. The Director, however, does not want to give the impression the department is heartless.

While there are stringent procedures to get financial assistance, it is meant to give the case worker a better picture of who the potential client is and what help they might need.

And for the former medical clinic patients this could actually help- as Ms Taylor points out many of the patients have actually been eligible for other benefits without realising it.

"I have had quite a few who have said 'Wow I wish I had known about this before'. Many of those had been going up in age, but now they know what is possible," she said.

Before a member of the public can receive any financial assistance they must visit the Department's offices on the first floor of Global House for their pre-screening. A very medical and perhaps intimidating term for what is basically an information-gathering process for the applicant.

The meeting is also a chance for former medical clinic patients to receive their temporary health insurance card, which identifies them for their doctors.

Temporary because after three months, the process for applying for financial assistance should be completed with the client either receiving help or not.

During the pre-screening former patient will also receive a list of 18 mandatory items which, after speaking to the counsellor, will be whittled down to the individual's necessary documents.

And the sooner these documents are collected the sooner the applicant can make an appointment and return to the Department for their interview and the results.

This process has come under scrutiny after Premier Dr. Ewart Brown's announced the closure of the clinic in his November Throne speech and the Ministry of Health later revealed these patients would be place on the Government's Health Insurance Plan (HIP).

The closure according to Premier Brown would protect the patients dignity, however in a news conference in April he also said the salaries for staff at the clinic had ballooned to half a million dollars a year and 30 patients were taking up acute care beds to the tune of $6 million for the tax payer.

Streamlining the process and having everyone apply for financial assistance would help ensure that there was no abuse of the process.

And that is exactly what Ms Taylor with her staff of seven case workers, three managers, one investigative officer and one social worker are trying to do in the most sensitive manner.

The process has started for more than 300 former medical clinic patients bringing the case load of the department to 1,100.

Ms Taylor stressed, however, that these medical clinic patients, while they may receive extra services through HIP, would be going through the financial assistance process the same way everyone else did.

"They are going to get assessed by us just like everyone else. If they can't qualify for financial assistance, if you have the means to pay for medical assistance then you should."

To qualify the person must be Bermudian, a guardian for a Bermudian child and must not have more than $5,000 in any of their bank accounts.

Should a senior or someone applying for financial assistance have more than $5,000 they must spend down to that amount in order to qualify.

Ms Taylor, however, made it clear that their pensions would not be touched and all of this was just to ensure the process was fair for everyone.

"When they come back for the intake they will leave knowing if they got it and how much they are going to get," she said.

"It is hard to know what a case looks like though because every case is different and every situation is assessed on its own merits."