Doctors can expect improved schedules of payments from the Government health insurance plan in the next two months.

The news comes from Warren Jones, Permanent Secretary of Health, who was responding to questions from The Royal Gazette, about the backlog-plagued Government's Health Insurance Plan, HIP.

Last May, this newspaper revealed that at least four doctor's practices had pulled out of the insurance programme and were demanding patients pay upfront because of huge delays.

Some said it took almost two years to receive compensation for the services given to patients.

Mr. Jones had acknowledged the problems surrounding HIP, but said though more staff had been hired and it would take automation of the plan to make payments within a month.

Yesterday, he said: "It is no secret that there has been a backlog of outstanding claims related to the Government Health Insurance Plan (HIP) for a number of years.

"One of the key contributors to this backlog is the lack of an automated system to process those claims.

"Until we fully automate, the 20 percent of doctors still waiting for improvements in payments will be a moving target but they will not experience the types of delay that existed in the past.

"We can certainly talk about two months as being realistic as opposed to six, nine and 12 months as had been the case in the past."

HIP came under fire after the Government announced that former patients of the free medical clinic were going to be placed on the insurance plan.

It is the standard health plan offered by the Government under the Hospital Insurance Act 1970, which is overseen by the Hospitals Insurance Commission and the Minister of Health.

Currently there are 5,250 persons covered by HIP which includes both individuals, groups and 500 persons on Medical Assistance making 135,000 claims per year.

In May, the Government's Information Technology Office (ITO) requested proposals for software to implement the claims automation for the Department of Social Insurance.

Yesterday Mr. Jones said that the automation had been partly achieved with an interim shelf solution — Spy Glass.

He said: "Although unable to process all the different types of claims that are processed by the Department, Spyglass allows for processing of some claims and therefore makes the process more efficient.

"At present Pharmacy claims are run through Spyglass. It is anticipated that by end of this month physician claims will also be running through that system.

"A long term proposal for a solution will be considered by the Cabinet this month and so the 2008 time frame for full automation is correct."

Acting Shadow Health Minister Louise Jackson said the United Bermuda Party had been calling for claims automation for years.

She said: "The continuing lack of computerisation is a key problem that has made it difficult for many people, particularly seniors, to get the medical attention they need.

"The United Bermuda Party long pressed the Government to computerise the system, and there was a commitment to do so by the end of last year, but it has not yet happened.

"So we urge the Health Minister to move with speed to make it happen."