DOCTORS said yesterday they would continue with hospital procedures for patients - despite being in a state of confusion as to how to bill for them.

A court order served on the Bermuda Medical Society by two insurance companies - the latest development in a long-running dispute between physicians and insurers over fee schedules - has "hijacked Bermuda's health care system", claimed the doctors.

But the insurers said last night they took out the injunction to prevent doctors from carrying out their intention of billing patients directly for hospital treatments and emphasised that an insurance claim for any treatment would be considered.

BMS president Dr. Jonathan Murray said it was no longer clear what treatments the insurers would cover and what they would not.

And Bermuda Medical Association president Dr. Steven Trott said his members were unsure how long they could continue practising without a steady income.

Dr. Murray said: "This injunction that has been obtained by Somers Isles and BF&M has really hijacked Bermuda's health care system and set us back by several months.

"It has left the doctors in a state of confusion about how to bill patients - including Government employees and those insured by Colonial - for their hospital procedures, as we don't know which codes to use for billing. This impasse has been going on for four months and it will take months for the injunction to be lifted. It makes it tough to run a practice when some doctors have not ben paid for so long and now it is difficult to predict the future of health care in Bermuda."

Doctors decided at a meeting this week that they would continue with hospital procedures for the immediate future "as part of their responsibility to the community".

Dr. Trott said: "We will continue to provide medical service as long as possible, however, without a regular income we are not ure how long we can continue.

"We still don't know what procedures are available to patients under their health insurance premium - it's grossly unfair."

Gerald Simons, president of the Health Insurance Association of Bermuda (HIAB), said last night: "We asked for the injunction to avoid putting insured people through the inconvenience - and in some cases the financial stress - of being billed directly by physicians, something they will have never experienced before.

"Secondly, I'd like to make the point that doctors will not be able to increase their fees unilaterally. They will first need consultation with the insurers and the approval of the Minister.

"Our real goal is for more meetings to take place because we believe there is now a good basis for resolving this."

And he added: "Insurers will consider treatment from any code."