PREMIER Jennifer Smith would be fondly remembered forever if her Government brought in legislation to stop the practice of people being dropped from health insurance when they retired.

That is the view of Age Concern executive director Claudette Fleming, who said premiums for seniors' health coverage were currently "outrageous" and that retirees being dropped from policies was "criminal".

Transport Minister and physician Dr. Ewart Brown announced in the House of Assembly last month that the Government had plans to extend health coverage to seniors who had been dropped from policies they held while employed.

Ms Fleming said: "I would like to see the Premier commit - it would be the most significant thing she could do in her entire political career - ensure that every senior citizen has adequate, accessible and affordable medical insurance. She'd be remembered forever if she could do that. Right now the premiums for seniors are outrageous. Not only is this a problem in Bermuda, it's a problem everywhere. But what if we could solve that problem here and be a model for other people? We're a small enough country to do it, it's not impossible. I'd like to see someone in politics commit to doing that."

Ms Fleming added that the health cover situation for retirees was currently dire.

"Unless you work for a big company like Belco or one of the banks, who can absorb the cost of retirement medical coverage, you pretty much get cut off," she said.

"Then you get HIP (the Government Health Insurance Plan) that covers everything at the hospital, but doesn't cover office visits, eye care or dental care. And that costs around $125 a month, so it's not cheap.

"It's especially frightening for people who already have long-term illness like diabetes - and there is a high incidence of that in Bermuda - or hypertension. When you lose health insurance when your working income has gone, it's horrible.

"We know of a guy now whose wife is disabled and in a wheelchair and he's retiring in December. They'll have no health insurance. It's criminal. And of course, no one's going to take them on because she's severely disabled. That shouldn't be.

"Some people just assume that when they retire, there is some National Insurance Plan to look after them, but there isn't."

Last month in Parliament, Dr. Brown said: "We are looking at policies whereby people who have worked are guaranteed certain medical coverage after they retire. Why should retirement mean no medical benefits when you most need them?

"As a physician it's saddening to see people who have worked for 20, 30 or 40 years say this is my last visit on insurance."

He said some people did not come back because coverage expired 30 days after retirement and physicians often ended up doing treatment for free.

Dr. Brown was off the island yesterday and unavailable for comment.

Ms Fleming felt the scheme would have to be jointly financed by the Government and the insurers.

"I feel that we should keep people working as long as possible, so they keep covered by their employers," she said. "Once they stop working, the company should not have to be burdened with carrying on paying, it's expensive.

"But I think the Government should subsidise, pay the company a fee for that person to pay the premium. So the senior still has to contribute their portion, but the Government would pay the employer to continue paying their portion.

"Then we have a basic indigen for people who are not working. It has to include hospital procedures, office visits, eye care and dental visits - all these things are important at that age, more important than when you're younger and you don't use it so much.

"I believe that could work. The insurance companies might not like it. But without a tax structure, the country cannot not pay for the whole scheme. It would bankrupt itself."

She added that it would be important to educate seniors to "not jump up every two seconds to go to the doctor", so as not to overstretch the scheme unnecessarily.

And more free clinics for seniors to have annual check-ups as preventative health care could reduce the financial burden, she said.

See Q.&A. on Page 4