FutureCare covers approximately 400 less seniors citizens than previously stated by Government.

Shadow Health Minister Louise Jackson said she was shocked at the admission from Health Minister Walter Roban, which came in response to Parliamentary Questions she had tabled.

According to Mr. Roban, between 2,363 and 2,671 are enrolled in Government's broad insurance scheme for eligible Bermudian seniors.

Yesterday Mrs. Jackson claimed: "This is a shocking figure that reveals the Government for many months has been misinforming the public about the number of seniors enrolled in the programme.

"Since April, successive Ministers from [the late Nelson] Bascome to [Michael] Scott to Roban have been saying that 3,100 seniors were enrolled in the programme when monthly numbers were as low as 2,363 seniors and never higher than 2,671.

"Beyond the hard numbers, this issue cuts to the core of whether the public can rely on information issued by this Government. I say that because in recent press coverage of the Dockyard pier controversy it was revealed that the Government had misled the public on cost overruns associated with the project.

"Minister Roban needs to provide the public with a satisfactory explanation for the continuous overstatement by him and his colleagues of the impact of FutureCare.

"This is important to set the record straight about FutureCare, but also to assure the public that they can trust the information imparted by Ministers of this Government."