No relief on health premiums for seniors

Seniors facing increases in health insurance premiums won?t be getting any relief from Government.

Finance Minister Paula Cox said Government?s commitment to seniors is strong, but is currently unable to provide an exemption for the hike in fees.

?We are prepared to continue to dialogue and explore options to further assist,? Ms Cox said.

Last week advocacy group Age Concern called on Government to exempt seniors from insurance increases.

Seniors were given a nine percent increase in pensions this year, but Age Concern fears the increase will be eaten up by soaring healthcare costs.

Ms Cox said that during the 2003 fiscal year, Government provided more than $35 million to subsidise aged and geriatric hospital care. Government also pays 80 percent of healthcare bills for seniors over 65 and 90 percent for those over 75.

In August, seniors will also receive a nine percent increase in their Contributory Pension Fund. Last year, those seniors on Government?s Hospital Insurance Plan were granted $1,000 prescription drug benefit with no corresponding increase in insurance premiums.

?Over time Government?s intent is to do more for our seniors, however, there has to be a balanced and reasonable approach, and fiscal responsibility must be maintained,? Ms Cox said.

The basic standard premium is set to increase by 10.8 percent per month increasing from $108.30 to $120. Ms Cox noted that it was originally recommended that premiums be increased by 22 percent a month.

?While we considered this increase unacceptable, particularly taking into consideration the impact this increase would have on our seniors, it is clear that we must strike a balance between social and fiscal responsibility.?

Townhouses to replace derelict homes

Developers plan to construct six townhouses on a site now occupied by two derelict homes.

One of the developers, Sue Lusher, said the Hermitage Road, Devonshire, project would blend in with the neighbourhood and be environmentally friendly.

?We hope to create three clusters of two townhouses,? she said. ?We want to maintain as much of the garden as possible and do not want to have a negative impact on the environment.

?We want to be as responsible as we can and keep the dwellings Bermudian and cottage-like.?

She said the homes would be targeted at middle income Bermudian homebuyers.

There is no set price for the townhouses at the moment, but Ms Lusher said: ?We are not sure if we will sell them at pre-construction prices or wait until the development is completed and then establish fair market prices.?

It is possible we will rent some and some will be offered for sale, she said.

The units will have three bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms and will be about 2,400 square feet each. They will be two-storey, semi-detached units.

?There is over half an acre of property ? we feel like we can space them enough for gardens.

?We plan to have one-third of the land building and two-thirds of the site garden.?

She hopes to keep as many trees as possible, but said: ?It all depends on what Planning permission we get.?

The owners are currently seeking permission in principle.

?We wish to make them aesthetically pleasing and hope they will enhance the neighbourhood not detract from it.?

If people are interested in buying the homes, they can contact Ms Lusher at Joy Lusher Real Estate.

Teen girl robbed by peer

A teenage girl was robbed and viciously beaten up by another female in Town Square, St. George?s, just after midnight on Sunday.

The 18-year-old was attacked after leaving Freddie?s Pub on the Square where she had been drinking with friends.

As she walked to her auxiliary cycle, another young woman approached her and threatened her before punching and kicking her.

The St. George?s teen sustained bruising and swelling to her face as a result of the attack.

The thug also took her purse containing $90 and kicked over her bike.

Anyone with information about the attack should call Police on 297-1122.

27 weekend accidents recorded

There were eight break-ins and 27 road traffic accidents at the weekend.

One person was arrested for impaired driving and there was one break-in in Sandys, three in St. George?s, two in Warwick and two in Pembroke.

Of the road traffic accidents, 22 were damage only and five resulted in injury.

Man searches for family in Bermuda

A man from South Carolina is hoping he can make contact with family members he hasn?t spoken to in almost 40 years.

David Cooke Johnston, from Columbia, South Carolina, called wondering if his two aunts still live in Bermuda.

His father, Joseph Johnston, moved to the US in 1909 while two of his sisters moved to Bermuda and married Bermudian men.

?That?s the extent of what I know about them,? Mr. Johnston said.

His father and another sister, Agnes, died in the late 1950s. Agnes lived in Detroit before she died.

?My father died when I was young and I don?t recall asking or learning any information about my family and I?m really hoping to reach out to them now and fill in some holes,? he said.

The Johnston clan were originally from Belfast, Ireland where Mr. Johnston?s grandfather, Thomas, along with several family members, worked in a shipyard and played a part in the building of the .

Causeway Shell station to close tomorrow

The Shell Causeway Service Station will be closed on tomorrow, Friday and Sunday due to ongoing renovations.

?We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause our valued customers,? oil products manager David Rose said in a Press release. ?We thank all our customers for their patience and understanding while this work is carried out.?

Public health fair at CedarBridge this week

Seniors should make a point of visiting the Public Health Fair this week to take advantage of the dental information that will be provided.

Public Health Week began yesterday with the fair ? at the CedarBridge Academy cafeteria from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. tomorrow ? as the highlight. According to a Press release, seniors are not getting the dental care they need.

?A 2002 dental survey of Bermuda?s seniors estimated that 85 percent of the seniors would benefit from dental treatment.

The survey involved 220 seniors, of which 70 percent had no dental insurance. Some 33 percent of the senior population said they visited the dentist, while 31 percent said they had not seen a dentist in five years.?

The spokesperson added: ?Diabetes can be difficult to control in the presence of periodontal disease and poor oral health can lead to poor diet digestion and poor nutritional status.?

The public is reminded that open houses are also scheduled for the week at the Somerset Clinic today and the St. George?s Clinic on Thursday.

Free screenings include blood pressure monitoring, hearing and vision, osteoporosis and dental.