A leading health insurer has launched new options that could cut travel coverage for some of its medical patients, citing client frustrations with high costs and the difficulty of arranging travel on their own.

BF&M and Argus stated that it had not reduced any of its coverage of costs for healthcare and that reimbursements for travel expenses would only be reduced if clients opted to make their own arrangements instead of those offered by the insurer.

However, a spokeswoman for the Bermuda Hospitals Board expressed concern that patients would be restricted to using the insurer’s new Canadian-based concierge service rather than a Bermuda-based one.

BF&M and Argus told The Royal Gazette it had launched its own travel concierge service for claimants who have to get treatment overseas to provide “a streamlined, one-call solution that helps reduce out-of-pocket expenses”.

The company issued a statement yesterday following an anonymous claim circulated on WhatsApp that it was cutting coverage from the start of this month.

The WhatsApp message alleged that insurance bosses had met BHB social workers to inform them of the policy change — without the knowledge of the board’s management.

The message also claimed patients who made their own travel arrangements would get a significant cut in coverage and that the arrangement amounted to “taking Bermuda jobs and dollars to Canada”.

In response, Peter Lozier, the group head of benefits for BF&M and Argus, said that the company’s concierge service had been set up to address customer concerns over travel expenses.

Mr Lozier said: “A significant number of clients have shared their frustration with the high out-of-pocket costs they were facing — covering hotel stays, flights and ground transportation — while having to arrange travel on their own.

“As more members have had to travel abroad for care, the gaps in the previous approach became increasingly clear. They asked us to find a better way.

“In response, we launched our new travel concierge service on June 1. By integrating travel support into our case management service, we now offer a streamlined, one-call solution that helps reduce out-of-pocket expenses and ease the burden on members during what is often a stressful time.”

Mr Lozier said that the new service would enable customers to maximise the value of their plans.

He added: “This change also supports our goal of controlling healthcare costs, helping to keep premiums more affordable for everyone.

“Members are still free to choose to make their own travel arrangements. However, doing so will result in lower reimbursement for certain travel-related expenses.”

He added: “It's important to emphasise that coverage for medical treatment remains exactly the same, regardless of whether members choose to make their own arrangements or use our Travel Concierge Service.

“Ultimately, this change reflects our ongoing commitment to delivering better value, better service, and better outcomes for our members in Bermuda and wherever care is needed.”

Last night, a BHB spokeswoman said: “We appreciate BF&M and Argus’s effort to reduce the cost of medical-related travel, but have concerns about the plans that require their clients to only use their Canadian medical concierge and not give them the choice of our Bermudian medical concierge service.

“We have communicated this to BF&M and Argus as well as our willingness to discuss finding ways to adapt to changing demands in a cost-constrained environment.

“We were not aware in advance of the meeting with the social workers. Relationship meetings of this kind are normal but we would expect major changes that impact BHB staff jobs and patients to be shared formally well in advance with BHB.”