Desilva & Blakeney: Ministry Budgets

February 28, 2012

[Updated with videos] Minister of Health Zane Desilva and Minister of Youth, Families & Sports Glenn Blakeney held a joint press conference this morning [Feb.28], to discuss their Ministry’s respective budgets for the upcoming fiscal year.

The proposed 2012/13 budget for the Ministry of Health is $190.98 million, a 10.9% increase from last year. The Hospitals account for $142.6 million, or almost 75%, of the total health budget. The remaining 25%, or $48.4 million, is allocated to the Ministry Headquarters, the Department of Health, and Health Insurance Department.

Minister Desilva said, “For the first time ever, the Ministry of Health and the Bermuda Hospitals Board will be entering into a Memorandum of Understanding to cap the Hospital Subsidy.”

“If we put a cap on Subsidy, we will be able to budget. We will know exactly what our maximum liability will be for Hospital subsidy. If we agree to a cap of $104 million, the most that we will pay will be $104 million. We could pay less, but not more.

“A cap will also put pressure on the Hospital to control their costs and to actively manage utilization of testing and diagnostic imaging. Patient safety would not be compromised, but every test does not have to be run for every patient.”

The Youth, Families & Sports budget is $75.3 million, with $39.8 million allocated to Financial Assistance, $18.6 million to Child and Family Services, $12 million to Youth, Sport and Recreation, $2.3 million to Human Affairs and $2.45 million to the Ministry’s headquarters.

The Ministry Headquarters’ budget of $2.45 million is a reduction of 34% from $3.7 million last year. “Part of the decrease in the Ministry Headquarters budget is due to a reduction in the Mirrors Programme budget from $1.69 million in FY 2011-12 to $1.3 million in FY 2012-13, a decrease of $392,000 or 23%,” said Minister Blakeney.

The Ministry added approximately $1 million to the budget estimate for the Department of Child and Family Services for the Psycho-Educational Programme.

Minister Blakeney said, “The Ministry had reduced the Psych-Ed budget last year by the same amount, but has found that there is still a continuing need to place children overseas for treatment. The Ministry will continue to search for viable ways to reduce the cost of overseas treatment going forward.”

The Ministry has also been allocated approximately $400,000 to support the Lime Carifta Games, which Bermuda will host at the National Sports Centre from April 6-9, 2012.

Minister Desilva’s full statement follows below:

Good Morning,

Thank you for joining me today.

I’d like to take a few minutes to provide more detail on the Ministry of Health budget for the 2012/13 financial year.

I’ll tackle both the Current Account budget and the Capital Development budget.

First, on the Current Account side, the proposed 2012/13 budget for the Ministry of Health is $190.98 million which is a 10.9% increase on the base budget from the previous year.

All of this increase has been applied to the budget for the Hospital Subsidy, as the Subsidy has historically been under funded.

The Ministry of Health provides funding to three Government entities:

  • The Ministry of Health Headquarters;
  • The Department of Health; and
  • The Health Insurance Department.

In addition, the Ministry pays claims made against the Hospital Subsidy and provides an operating grant to the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute.

The vast majority of the Ministry of Health’s budget (almost 75%) is allocated to the Bermuda Hospitals Board.

The grant to MWI is $38.578 million and funds the full operation of the Mid Atlantic Wellness Institute.

The team at MWI will continue with the implementation of the Mental Health Plan during the coming financial year, and they will also be working closely with the Department of Health on the provision of services for Bermuda’s special needs population.

I indicated that the Ministry of Health pays claims made against the Hospital Subsidy, and I think it’s important to spend just a moment explaining the Subsidy.

There are three Hospital Subsidy categories which are designed to protect vulnerable populations.

For CHILDREN and the INDIGENT, the Subsidy pays 100% of standard hospital benefit – which is the cost of services provided at KEMH by KEMH staff.

For SENIORS between the ages of 65 and 75, the Subsidy pays 80% of standard hospital benefit.

For SENIORS over the age of 75, the Subsidy pays 90% of standard hospital benefit.

Again, I have to stress that these subsidies apply to ALL Bermuda residents. The Subsidies for Children and Seniors are age based entitlements which are not means tested, either at the low or high end. No matter how little or how much one earns, the Subsidies pay for hospital care.

As we all know, no matter where you live, the cost of healthcare is highest at the Hospital – and it’s no different in Bermuda.

We have budgeted $104 million for Hospital Subsidy.

Historically, the Hospital Subsidy has been paid on a ‘fee for service’ basis. If a patient who is eligible for subsidy receives service, the Ministry pays. This has meant that the Ministry of Health had no control over the budget. If more people used more services, the Ministry paid. Also, there was no incentive for the Hospital to control utilization.

That is now changing.

For the first time ever, the Ministry of Health and the Bermuda Hospitals Board will be entering into a Memorandum of Understanding to cap the Hospital Subsidy.

If we put a cap on Subsidy, we will be able to budget. We will know exactly what our maximum liability will be for Hospital subsidy.

If we agree to a cap of $104 million, the most that we will pay will be $104 million.

We could pay less, but not more.

A cap will also put pressure on the Hospital to control their costs and to actively manage utilization of testing and diagnostic imaging. Patient safety would not be compromised, but every test does not have to be run for every patient.

The Hospitals then, account for $142.6 million, or almost 75%, of the total budget for the Ministry of Health.

The remaining 25% or $48.4 million is allocated to the Ministry Headquarters, the Department of Health, and Health Insurance Department.

In 2012/13, the primary focus for the Departments within the Ministry of Health will be the National Health Plan.

Each of the Departments are heavily involved in the six Task Groups which are developing the implementation options for the National Health Plan.

The Benefit Design Task Group has submitted their preliminary recommendations on the benefits which should be included in the Standard Health Benefit.

The Finance and Reimbursement Task Group will use the Benefit Design Group’s report to develop options for pricing and paying for health coverage.

The Prevention Task Group is already at work on enhancing the implementation of the Well Bermuda Strategy. Long term, the only way to keep our rising healthcare costs in check is to change our eating and exercise habits. We must strive for Healthy People, Healthy Families, living in Healthy Communities.

The other Task Groups are focusing on Long Term Care, Overseas Care, and the implementation of an Electronic Health Record. It will be some time before they have all completed their work, but they are all active and have involved as wide a cross section of the stakeholder community as possible.

In the end, we will not lose sight of the core values that we have set for our heath system – equity and sustainability.

While the National Health Plan is looking toward the long term, the Ministry of Health is also focused on the short term.

The 2011 Throne Speech announced that we would be addressing the matter of upfront payments for medical treatment. Resources have been allocated for this project within the Ministry of Health and the Bermuda Health Council.

Legislation was produced and laid before the House of Assembly during the last session for the information of the Members as well as the public at large.

The implementation team (which includes a broad range of stake holders) has been meeting to suggest fine tuning that the legislation might require. They have also been working out the technical details of implementation. Putting a halt to upfront payments may sound like a straight forward exercise, but, as they say, “The Devil is in the details.”

Now, let me turn to the Capital Development funding.

There are only two Capital Development items in the budget for the Ministry of Health.

Each year we provide $120,000 to MWI for Minor Works, and that is in place again for next year.

We also have $1 million in Capital Development funding for the refurbishment of Lefroy House.

At this point, I have to pause and provide a bit of background, because one of the OBA candidates has recently been making a lot of noise about the Capital funding for Lefroy House.

A couple of weeks ago, I was asked if the OBA candidate for the Lefroy House constituency could visit Lefroy, as he would like to be familiar with the care provided there.

I didn’t have a problem with that, and I went with him to Lefroy House where the Administrator gave us a comprehensive tour.

She showed us the whole facility, from top to bottom. We met staff and we had the chance to talk to residents. Nothing was hidden, and nothing was off limits. The candidate could see anything he wanted to see.

After the visit, I understand that this candidate appearedon talk radio about the conditions at Lefroy House. I also understand that he has been implying that funding has been used for other purposes – and he’s right. His indications are wrong – let me explain:

This financial year we had $5.5 million in the budget for Lefroy House refurbishment, but we had to transfer funds as follows:

  • $1 million was transferred to the LCCA to pay for the cost of overseas hospital treatment for Bermudians;
  • $2 million was transferred to the Health Insurance Department to assist in the payment of subsidy for portability and age subsidy for diagnostic imaging. And remember, this is in addition to the $104 million for Hospital Subsidy claim payments that I talked about earlier; and
  • $2.4 million was deferred as part of a cost savings exercise for this financial year.

I have to be clear that the total funding approved by Parliament for the Lefroy House refurbishment project is $19 million – but that $19 million has not been put into the budget in any one year.

Each year, part of the funding is provided, and to date (between 2007 and now) we have only spent $1.5 of that $19 million.

We will continue to work on the redevelopment of Lefroy House, but we also have to look at the long term return on investment.

I have asked my technical team to provide me with a comparison of what can be accomplished by refurbishment against what could be done if we started from scratch.

We have to consider all the options – but my focus continues to be on what is best for the seniors who live at Lefroy House – not just in the short term, but also for the long term.

Thank you.

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Minister Blakeney’s full statement follows below:

Good Morning, I am pleased to share with members of the media and the public highlights of the Ministry of Youth, Families and Sports’ Budget Estimate for Fiscal Year 2012-13. The total budget estimate for the Ministry is broken down as follows:

The Government recognizes that there is a continuing need to provide assistance to members of our community who find themselves in a financial deficit in their day to day lives. Accordingly, the budget estimate for the Department of Financial Assistance (including child day care allowance) for FY 2012-13 is $39.8 million.

This is the primary reason that the Ministry’s budget allocation this year (i.e. FY 2012-13) shows a 21% increase over the original budget estimate for FY 2011-12.

This allocation more accurately reflects projections for financial assistance demand and will provide the Ministry with the necessary resources to meet the projected demand, particularly with regards to seniors and persons with disabilities.

There is also expected to be some increase in demand due to persons who are recently unemployed seeking financial assistance. The Ministry objective in this regard is to avoid people falling through the cracks when they find themselves in a financial deficit situation.

Let me summarize the recent statistics for persons on financial assistance and child day care allowance for the month of December 2011:

  • # of persons on financial assistance – 1363
  • # of seniors – 522; # of persons with disabilities – 523; # of persons with low earnings – 188; # of able-bodied unemployed persons – 130
  • 21% of seniors on financial assistance live in a rest or nursing home.
  • average caseload per financial assistance worker – 143
  • number of parents receiving child day care allowance – 300
  •  number of children in child day care allowance programme – 359.

Amendment to Financial Assistance Regulations 2004

The Ministry is aware that some of our seniors are experiencing financial hardship because they are ineligible to receive financial assistance benefits due to the fact that they are property owners. The November 2011 Speech from the Throne indicated that Government would review the eligibility criteria for financial assistance in order to ensure that the mere fact of home ownership by seniors does not justify denial of financial assistance.

Let me explain further. Amendments to the Financial Assistance Regulations 2004 came into effect on the 1st April 2011 and changed eligibility criteria such that any applicant with assets (inclusive of interest in real property) exceeding $5,000.00 would not be eligible to receive financial assistance.

It has been observed since that time that the amendment to the Financial Assistance Regulations had an adverse impact on seniors who are homeowners or who have an interest in real property, even though it was not intended to disadvantage such persons.

Consequently, Government will amend the Financial Assistance Regulations in this Parliamentary session to allow seniors who are homeowners or who have an interest in real property to be eligible to be assessed for applicable financial assistance benefits.

It is estimated that this may result in additional financial assistance costs of up to $250,000 in FY 2012/13 to account for new seniors who may have been ineligible to receive financial assistance this year.

Mirrors Programme

I wish to point out that the Ministry Headquarters’ budget will be reduced from $3.7 million to $2.45 million during the upcoming fiscal year, a reduction of 34%.

Part of the decrease in the Ministry Headquarters budget is due to a reduction in the Mirrors Programme budget from $1.69 million in FY 2011-12 to $1.3 million in FY 2012-13, a decrease of $392,000 or 23%.

This allocation will allow the Mirrors Programme to undertake programming that includes one intensive residential cycle for the 15 to 18 year old participants and 2 middle school level coaching for success programmes.

The Mirrors staff must be commended for continuing to find ways to cut costs while still delivering these much needed programmes in the community. [Note that part of the cost reduction in the Ministry Headquarters ($852,000) is due to the transfer of the responsibility for parish councils out of the Ministry Headquarters to another Ministry.]

Psycho-Educational Programme

The Ministry determined that it is necessary to add approximately $1.0 million to the budget estimate for the Department of Child and Family Services for the Psycho-Educational Programme, bringing the cost of that Programme to $3.12 million for FY 2012-13.

The Ministry had reduced the Psych-Ed budget last year by the same amount, but has found that there is still a continuing need to place children overseas for treatment. The Ministry will continue to search for viable ways to reduce the cost of overseas treatment going forward.

Lime Carifta Games

Bermuda will have the honour to host the 40th Lime Carifta Games at the National Sports Centre from April 6-9, 2012. This will be the fourth time that Bermuda will host these prestigious Games, having hosted them in 1975, 1980 and 2004.

The Games will showcase some of the best youth track and field athletes from the Caribbean region in under-17 and under-20 categories. Many Bermudians who attended the 2004 Carifta Games will remember the superb performance displayed by Usain Bolt of Jamaica when he broke the under-20 record in the 200m sprint in a time of 19.93 sec, a record that still stands today.

The Carifta Games promotes qualities of sportsmanship, fitness and friendship among youth from different Caribbean countries including Bermuda and helps to build strong character through friendly rivalry and competition. The Ministry has been allocated approximately $400,000 in FY 2012/13 to support the Lime Carifta Games.

This has contributed to an increase in the budget estimate for the Department of Youth, Sport and Recreation of around 5%, bringing its total budget to just over $12 million for FY 2012/13.

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Comments (40)

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  1. Um Um Like says:

    “If we put a cap on Subsidy, we will be able to budget…We could pay less, but not more.”

    What a great concept! Perhaps this unique solution to saving money should be implemented throughout our brilliant government.

    Sounds kinda like the debt ceiling… we can’t be more than $1.25B in debt… a year later: uh oh, we overspent, so now lets say we can’t be more than $1.4B in debt.

  2. Pastor Syl says:

    Yet again, the one program PROVEN to successfully intervene with our youth gets its budget cut. There is no rhyme or reason to this – unless I accept that the well-being of our youth, and by extension, our community, is not a priority for this government.

    Anybody, anybody – LaVerne, specialgirl4you, any of you other die-hard PLP supporters – please help me understand.

    • LaVerne Furbert says:

      Mirrors Programme

      I wish to point out that the Ministry Headquarters’ budget will be reduced from $3.7 million to $2.45 million during the upcoming fiscal year, a reduction of 34%.

      Part of the decrease in the Ministry Headquarters budget is due to a reduction in the Mirrors Programme budget from $1.69 million in FY 2011-12 to $1.3 million in FY 2012-13, a decrease of $392,000 or 23%.

      This allocation will allow the Mirrors Programme to undertake programming that includes one intensive residential cycle for the 15 to 18 year old participants and 2 middle school level coaching for success programmes.

      The Mirrors staff must be commended for continuing to find ways to cut costs while still delivering these much needed programmes in the community. [Note that part of the cost reduction in the Ministry Headquarters ($852,000) is due to the transfer of the responsibility for parish councils out of the Ministry Headquarters to another Ministry.]

      • Pastor Syl says:

        I can read what they said quite well, LaVerne. You repeating it still doesn’t explain why the cut. Yes, the staff are to be commended for still striving to ‘do more with less,’ but why should they have to? Don’t build those unnecessary units up on South Shore. You can’t sell those ugly ones you’ve already spoiled the landscape with. Don’t destroy any more of the South Shore and put that money into the hands of those who work with the youth, the aged and the underserved.

  3. Voice of Reason says:

    Wow, that is a striking figure. Out of the 1363 people on Financial Assistance, less than 10% (130) are able bodied unemployed! I would have thought the number to be much higher, like say…. 4000 (the figures the OBA gives for unemployment)

    • Onion says:

      It is higher. Reported unemployment and actual unemployment are never the same, the actual figure is always higher. Also from what i can see of the Minister’s statement those figures are only for Decemeber 2011.

      • Tommy Chong says:

        As I’ve posted before but must emphasize again. Below is a list straight from the government site showing how under plp more work permits were approved than under ubp. Even in the midst of so many IB businesses leaving the numbers of permits still trumps the numbers during the IB boom in bermuda. I’m sure we all can do the math if we line the numbers up with historical implementations & travels done by plp ministers especially our previous premier.

        2011 – 8,608

        2010 – 10,127

        2009 – 11,001

        2008 – 12,968

        2007 – 11,730

        2006 – about 9,800

        2005 to 2006 – 8,400

        2002 to 2004, about 7800

        2001 – 7,900

        2000 – 6,700

        1999 – 7,412

        1998 – 7,263

        1997 – 6,907

        1996 – 6,597

        1995 – 5,998

        • My two cents says:

          This is what nobody wants to admit. The fact is the PLP allowed more foreigners to work here than the UBP ever did. Now put that in your pipe and smoke it.

          • Tommy Chong says:

            Not sure if your directing the, “put that in your pipe and smoke it.” to me but I wouldn’t have put this up if I didn’t know what it means. This is why I’m a ronin sharing no loyalties because I would like to experience a step forward from an opposing party but still hear & read the same old stuff. If OBA’s leader would just be straight up & not go on about construction workers like their the only unemployed that might perk my interest. I realize Craig is sending darts to a certain minister by targeting construction & that’s cool because no ones business should solely profit from them being a minister while others fail & locals become unemployed. At the same time I would have more respect for Craig if he sent something the way of a certain former plp minister now plp MP who’s restaurant shares & other business connections have flourished because of foreign employment over able local employment. I will not show full loyalty to any party until all national issues have been properly addressed & I know all members of the party are able to serve as a unit while still doing their individual parts. Till that day I will remain a ronin & won’t bother casting a vote for any side leaving my conscience intact.

            • My two cents says:

              No I wasn’t directing it at you, I was agreeing with you. That was directed toward all the die hard PLP members that keep complaining that that the UBP gave all our Bermudian jobs away. In fact it was the PLP that did more of this than the UBP. And I appreciate you posting those stats.

          • Tommy Chong says:

            Also if your point is a means of praising plp you’ve missed the boat. If you take a look these thousands of new work permits are not IB permits but work permits for job placements non IB sector while locals get turned down for not having two years experience as a kitchen porter, salad tosser, waiter, construction labor & the list goes on for jobs that everyone nows you don’t need two years experience to do & the foreign workers employed in these jobs don’t have two years experience in them. Minister Minors needs to get a backbone & keep trying to patch up the holes her party made before we sink & stop playing Craig says.

        • rocky two says:

          These stats REALLY show that the PLP is NOT for Bermudians at all. They let thousands & thousands of foreigners into Bermuda to work while pretending that the cared about us Bermudians! Time for a change!

          • Tommy Chong says:

            Thank You! Thats exactly what it shows but I’m still not sure what My two cents means & won’t until their message is clarified.

        • jt says:

          What % of the permits were granted to IB vs. contruction vs. restaurant vs. hotel etc.? That would be far more enlightening.

          • Tommy Chong says:

            Honestly I couldn’t tell you & I’m sure the plp would not want us to know. Thats why there’s no exact breakdown to be found anywhere. That being said its doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that we had way more IBs here in 1995 than 2011. From 5,998 in an IB boom to 8,608 permits when many IBs have left is proof enough that its not the IB permits that are the majority now. Look at the numbers during ewart’s time from 9,800 to 12,968 is a massive jump especially on an island with a 64,268 population. Think about the non IB businesses that opened during this time that now are hugely successful wile others fail.

            No breakdown needed just go to these businesses & do a mental head count in each of them. For those who cant tell a Bermudian from a foreigner to do the head count I’ll give you a quick history of Bermuda’s culture to help out. First to colonize Bermuda obviously the english the second mass population brought here African slaves the last mass import of foreigners which was the Portuguese started in the early 1900′s to work in construction & farming. To my knowledge there has been no dire need here to import mass amounts of foreigners from ONLY ONE country to support a work sector since the Portuguese. This means other than these three nationalities there should be a balanced mix of foreign workers from all over. For 7 years now this is obviously not been the case.

    • Mad Dawg says:

      Ok Voice of Reason. If only 130 able bodied people are unemployed, why can’t they get off their asses and get a job like the rest of us have to?

    • Tommy Chong says:

      The unemployed total is much higher. Those 1363 are just the ones who seek financial assistance. The 130 able bodied are making it worse for the ones who try to find their own means of living without a job that don’t seek assistance. I don’t know if all do but I now that many of those 130 go around to jobs & get employers to sign a form that says they tried to get a job there but there are non to be had. Some employers will be honest & tell them that they need to actually apply for the job not just get a BS form form signed saying they did. Many employers are happy to sign the form because they don’t want to hire them in the first place & this is an easy way out for both. Those who cheat the system like this need to realize they are setting misconceptions of all other unemployed being lazy for those who really want a job. Government workers who’s job it is need to do their jobs & find out if the ones who are applying for financial assistance really are trying to get a job. Tax payers pay for these people to live while others struggle because they have more dignity than to ask for easy handouts.

  4. tricks are for kids says:

    So glad that the “Psych-Ed budget” has been increased. Now we can move forward and get the much NEEDED services for some of my students..Thank you!!!!!!

  5. Tommy Chong says:

    Minister Blakeney & his mate Minister Desilva should enroll themselves in a Psycho-Educational Program. I know what these programs are all about. Psychologist, “Your kids not right in the head so we’ll prescribe methylphenidate to your kid & turn him into a drugged up zombie.” Parent, “But, doctor isn’t this drug closely related to crystal meth thats becoming epidemically abused by kids in America?” Psychologist, “Yes it is but unlike crystal meth it has been clinically approved by the FDA. Its not like the FDA has ever approved any weight loss drugs or any other drugs that are highly addictive before.”

    Also Minister of Health how are the kids supposed to keep fit while breathing in all the toxins spewed out of big construction vehicles & other oversized vehicles? Won’t this eventually cause asthma cases to arise in kids in Bermuda? Minister of Health!!! Minister of Health!!! Can you hear me? Oh I guess you’ve gone deaf from all the noise pollution on this island.

  6. David Henry says:

    Minister Desilva is an upstanding citizen; a man of his word and a man of utmost credibility. We should trust him and take this at face value and not ask questions.

    • rocky two says:

      As the Hon. Paula Cox says – if you criticise the PLP Government you are un-patriotic.

    • Tommy Chong says:

      Surely your being sarcastic? If not ask all the other owners of construction firms & the Portuguese community how much of an an upstanding citizen he is since they know him BEST.

      • pepper says:

        Tommy, we all are aware where those cedar beams went….and as you say the portugese community have no respect for Correia or desilva, what about Lopes ?

        • Tommy Chong says:

          Gilbert like many other Portuguese who have made it big in Bermuda seem to have lost sight of their roots. They will even shaft their own to make a profit not thinking about how their ancestors had to struggle in Bermuda to make it & were not born with a silver spoon. Me being mixed with Portuguese & African decent & try to stay close to both cultures realize that on both sides in Bermuda it was a struggle to be looked at as human not a heeey joe or just another mo. Respect must be given to Bermuda’s new generations just the same as generations before fought for it to be given. Just because someone is Portuguese Pereira with money it doesn’t automatically mean they become a English Perry with money.

    • LaVerne Furbert says:

      Minister DeSilva is indeed a many of his word and in the opinion of those us who know him, a man of utmost credibility. That is not to say that he can not be questioned.

      Prior to Mr. DeSilva joining the PLP, he was a respected businessman. However, today, there are those who question his business acumen.

      • Tommy Chong says:

        I’ll have to put my old wellies on to wade through this post you put up.

      • Lady Scribbler says:

        Many have questions Zane’s intergrity for years so don’t go there- it just wasn’t front page news. Yes I will call him Zane, known him all my life.
        Zane is not evil but he aint a straight arrow either. There is no doubt that he has benefitted financilly by his policial affiliations. Ask his workers!

      • Come correct says:

        Are you serious? That’s sarcasm right LaVerne? Why don’t you ask him how credibility got him his successful business. I guess you don’t really know him since I looked up credibility and the words integrity and trustworthy are linked to it. None of those 3 words I would ever use to descride him, but one day he will have to answer for his actions, hope he’s ready, hope it was worth it.

      • blackseal says:

        The cows on the island produce less poo than comes out of laverne’s mouth

      • Thanks for the laugh says:

        LaVerne, I’ve never heard anyone use the words “respected” and “credible” when talking about Zane. As pepper says, I hope his father has forgiven him.

      • My two cents says:

        Nope simply not true. Many in the community well before the PLP found the way he “took over” his father’s business to be questionable to say the least. Just ask around and you will see this for yourself.

    • pepper says:

      Zane said he is best friends with our former premier and rolf commisiong ,the old adage “birds of a feather f%ck together (sorry that should have been flock )together)

    • Hmmmm says:

      He didn’t lie or decieve over futurecare at all did he…get a grip.

  7. rocky two says:

    I can see 20%+ increases in Health Insurance Premiums for the next few years as the Health Insurance providers have to pass on increased rates from King Edward Hospital so that the Hospital can stay afloat & pay for the new $350,000,000.00+ new hospital ( plus costs to operate it) & they can stay in business. There is no way Bermudian “Baby Boomers” will be able to afford to retire in Bermuda unless they are very, very rich. PLEASE somebody get some capital together with some good managers/doctors and set up a private hospital ASAP. I suggest the Horizons Guest House site in Paget – 25+ acres – going cheap from those geniuses at Brickman……

  8. 32n64w says:

    When is Minister DeSilva finally going to disclose the actual costs related to the new hospital, both at handover (including the $40m being raised in the private sector by the Bermuda Hospitals Charitable Trust) and annually ($??) by the taxpayer for 30 years thereafter?

    The Minister keeps mentioning that construction is on time and budget but that has nothing to do with the taxpayer’s obligations as our financial commitments only starts once the keys are handed over and the new building is open for business. Until then Paget Health Services is on the hook until completion.

  9. Hmmmm says:

    Ministry headquarters reduction, is at the pension holiday? If so the Spending has INCREASED by 14million for the comming year. WOW do more with less, soon we we be doing nothing with nothing.

  10. alicia says:

    I don’t understand how Zane can indicate that the subsidy payments are going to be capped at $104Million and not a penny more when he indicates over and over that they are going to work with the hospital to ensure that this does not go over the budget, however, all HIP approved providers (i.e, Brown Darrell) also get the subsidy payments for their services and the subsidy is also applied to overseas claims as well.

    How does the ministry of health intend to monitor the usage, control the utilization of services and communicate to all parties that receive the subsidy in advance if the cap is met. Will one of our seniors or young families receive a bill in a few years as the government will have notified them that there is no money left?

    Withouth proper implementation this has future care written all over it