MPs are due to debate health insurance today — and the Progressive Labour Party may end up wishing it had dealt with the matter while fierce FutureCare critic Louise Jackson was off the Island.

Mrs. Jackson has returned from a trip overseas and is poised to lead the United Bermuda Party's charge over the Health Insurance Amendment Act set for discussion in today's House of Assembly session.

The change to the legislation means HIP will reopen on a temporary basis for seniors who were left unable to claim health insurance following the phased introduction of FutureCare.

It comes after Shadow Health Minister Mrs. Jackson repeatedly spoke out on behalf of elders she says have been "conned", "duped" and "disenfranchised" by an initiative she believes has been rolled out unfairly.

"I welcome the opportunity to harshly rectify the eligibility of seniors for FutureCare and HIP," the veteran MP told The Royal Gazette yesterday.

Today's amendment will mean seniors currently ineligible for FutureCare and unable to pay between $5,000 and $18,000 for private policies can take advantage of HIP in the short-term.

It is the latest in a string of developments of the FutureCare project which was one of the PLP's biggest promises in the run-up to the 2007 General Election.

HIP was replaced by FutureCare in April, but at that time Government said it was scaling back the scheme due to the economic downturn and limiting the numbers to those already in HIP for the first year. People aged over 65 who failed to get into FutureCare were advised to seek a cheap basic health care plan with a private insurer.

Today's debate had initially been scheduled for last Friday — earlier than common practice — but was deferred after sceptics in the UBP suggested Government was trying to rush it through in the absence of Mrs. Jackson.

Health Minister Walter Roban explained: "I am keeping my promise of this summer to debate and pass this legislation immediately when the House resumed and most importantly, in the interests of the seniors affected."

Also today, Mrs. Jackson will get her teeth into another of her pet topics as MPs debate the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital (Special Planning Provision) Act.

This bill gives permission for the redevelopment intended to bring the ailing hospital up to modern-day standards. Construction is due to start late next year and is aimed to be completed by late 2013.

Mrs. Jackson, who has frequently criticised the amount of time and money spent planning the rebuild, said yesterday: "This Government has spent millions of dollars and come up with all kinds of plans and ideas to get to this point. It's been a wastage of taxpayers money on planning rather than work."

Opposition Whip Cole Simons says Government has revealed another item for discussion today is the Child Day Care Allowance Amendment Act, which will mean day care allowance will only be for children under the age of four who have not yet begun public or private preschool.

MPs are also expected to debate the Statistics Amendment Act, which upgrades the title of the head of the Statistics Department from "chief statistician" to "director of statistics" to reflect a change in the department which has undertaken the responsibilities of race group CURE.