As you may have seen in the media, former Party Leader and Premier Dr. Ewart Brown has decided to close Brown-Darrell Clinic. He has made no secret of the fact that it was the reduction in fees implemented by the former OBA government that has necessitated this closure.
This fee reduction by the OBA, made against technical recommendation, affected the Brown-Darrell Clinic (BDC), the Bermuda Health Care Services (BHCS) and the Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB).
We, as the new Government, have attempted to find a balance between lowering the health care costs in Bermuda, which affects all Bermudians, and mitigating the effects of the lower health care costs on health care providers, such as Brown-Darrel Clinic.
In our attempt at finding a resolution, and recognizing the impact that the fee reduction has had on BDC, BHCS, and BHB, this Government considered the previous recommendation for fee reduction.
We have addressed the losses that all three agencies incurred as a result of the drastic reductions made by the previous government. Further, in light of the fact that these decisions were made by the previous government against technical recommendation, we have retroactively sought to compensate these providers for lost revenue, without increasing health insurance premiums for Bermudians.
If the level of services remain the same as last year, Brown Darrell Clinic and Bermuda Health Care Services will receive an additional $778 thousand and BHB will receive an additional $1.8 million in funds to make up for the cut that was made by the OBA.
Our decision has been made to ensure that all Bermudians are able to receive affordable health care, while addressing the unfortunate impact of the OBA’s reduction of fees on Brown-Darrell Clinic, the Bermuda Health Care Services, and the Bermuda Hospitals Board.
Attached is a fact sheet provided by Minister Wilson, who is attending the next Central Committee meeting on Monday January 22. As is the norm, we invite you, as members, to attend and ask questions/receive answers to any queries you may have.