DOCTORS yesterday confirmed they had made a legal move to overturn an injunction which insurers obtained last month to prevent them from billing patients directly.

A joint statement released yesterday by the Bermuda Medical Society and Bermuda Medical Association said the two doctors' groups had filed an application with the Supreme Court on November 4 to set aside the injunction, obtained by Somers Isles Insurance and BF&M Life Insurance on October 14.

Frustrated doctors had threatened to start billing patients directly last month in response to months of unresolved talks over updating payments for medical procedures. But the injunction and the resulting writ served on doctors halted those plans.

BMS president Dr. Jonathan Murray said yesterday: "The writ served on the BMS last month has stopped the doctors from billing for any hospital or office procedures and from using the CPT coding.

"We will be going to the Supreme Court to request that the writ is lifted so that we can be paid for the services that we carry out for our patients."

A task force including doctors, representatives of the insurance companies and members of Government was formed 14 months ago to discuss changes to the schedule of medical procedures covered by insurance, but the dispute continues to drag on.

Doctors want insurers to cover according to the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code, which covers 11,000 treatments - but insurers want to use a limited version.

Dr. Murray added: "We continue to talk to the HIAB (Health Insurers' Association of Bermuda) and we are hopeful that we can negotiate the fee schedule with them before presenting it to the (Health) Minister (Nelson Bascome) for ratification, so that patients can once again rest assure that necessary medical procedures are covered under their insurance policy.

"However, in the meantime, we have applied to have the writ lifted." The doctors' application will be heard by the Supreme Court as soon as a date is available.