House of Assembly is passed as expected.

And Health and Social Services Minister Nelson Bascome said in the decade he had been an MP this would be the lowest annual hike to hospital fees.

The Bermuda Hospitals Board (Hospital Fees) Amendment Regulations 1999 includes both inpatient and outpatient treatment for everything from radiology to gynaecology, pathology and eye surgery.

Last year fees rose by 6.6 percent while in 1997 they increased by 6.5 percent and in 1996 they jumped 5.5 percent.

Mr. Bascome said some years in the past the hike had been as much as eight to 12 percent.

"It's to cover the rising cost of hospital and health care in general,'' he said.

He said it was expected to be given its second and third readings within the next fortnight before heading to the Senate for approval.