Shadow Health Minister Louise Jackson has criticised a Government plan to expand medical care for seniors as "poorly" advertised and failing to provide cover for those on a low income.

The UBP MP criticised the deadlines for those signing up to FutureCare as "under-promoted". She claimed a lack of advertising meant many seniors had missed applying and were now out in the cold.

Mrs. Jackson also criticised the monthly costs of the programme, which she said at $260 was beyond the means of those seniors most in need.

Government pledged to create FutureCare in the 2007 PLP election manifesto. This month The Health Insurance Amendment Act 2009 was passed to provide the foundations for the launch of the programme.

Under FutureCare, Government will pick up 75 percent of costs for a range of medical services. Although the $260 monthly premium is an additional $60 on HIP (Health Insurance Plan), benefits include: unlimited physician visits; preventative services; home nursing care; overseas care coverage; GP, specialist, optician and dental visits.

Government will also pay up to $2,000 for prescription drugs, compared to $1,200 under HIP.

Health Minister Nelson Bascome has said the aim of FutureCare is to reduce the number of uninsured seniors in Bermuda and to make healthcare more affordable.

However, Mrs. Jackson said: "The Government's idea of FutureCare as a political winner has always preceded any hard thinking about how the programme will work and how it will be financed. The initial promotion of FutureCare as a plan for all seniors has since foundered on the cost implications of that rash election-time promise – some $64 million a year by our calculation at the time.

"Since then, the Government has been dialing back expectations. What causes us concern today is the appearance that the Government is deliberately setting up poorly-promoted application deadlines that have the effect of minimising the number of applicants.

"This was first brought to our attention at the start of the year when we began receiving calls from seniors who missed the January 1 application deadline for the Hospital Insurance Programme a membership that would have qualified them for FutureCare. There were some print ads at the time but clearly not enough for broad promotion of the deadline.

"Missing that deadline excluded many seniors from FutureCare."

Mrs. Jackson said: "Today we have received reports of another under-promoted deadline. Seniors who were members of HIP were required to fill out a FutureCare application form by March 23, yesterday. Missing this deadline would also have excluded seniors from FutureCare.

"My question is: 'Why is Government making it so difficult for our seniors? It is perfectly capable of organising major promotions on any number of subjects, but the will to promote FutureCare in terms of maximising the number of qualifying seniors appears to be weak.

"At this rate, the Government is in the process of forming a very exclusive club FutureCare cardholders."

Mrs. Jackson said: "This is a far cry from its election-time promotion and its 2008 Budget description of FutureCare as a programme to 'assist seniors without means to have insurance coverage for their healthcare needs'."

She added: "Surely, the priority concern for any government is to provide healthcare coverage for people lacking the means to get it as implied by the above 2008 Budget quotation. But FutureCare and affordability fails at the first hurdle by requiring seniors to pay $260 a month, instead of the $200 for HIP.

"While we recognise the additional benefits FutureCare may carry, it seems that seniors who did not have enough money to pay for HIP had no chance for FutureCare at all.

"While we appreciate the intent behind FutureCare, if it does not provide coverage for 'seniors without means' then we are not really making a difference in the lives that need our help the most."

Government is expected to offer a response today.