Tyrone Reid, Enterprise Reporter

One of the burning questions the Ministry of Finance and Planning will have to answer at today's high-level, closed-door meeting being staged to quell flaring tempers over news that the Government Employees Administrative Services Only (GEASO) health scheme might be changing carriers, is why it rejected the recommendation of the actuaries it hired to examine the bids.

Highly placed sources confirmed claims made by the Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA) recently that the actuaries hired by the Government recommended that Blue Cross continue to be the carrier.

The sources revealed that Coke and Associates Eckler Partners were the actuaries. When The Gleaner contacted the company yesterday, our news team was told that the acclaimed actuary, Daisy Coke, who handled this particular case, was not in office.

Attempts to contact Mrs. Coke on her mobile phone were unsuccessful.

A financial expert explained to The Gleaner that actuaries are responsible for analysing the bids and usually choose the most sustainable option, that is, they look beyond the surface presented by the numbers.

However, the Ministry is yet to state publicly why, if in fact it did, reject the recommendation put forward by the actuaries.

Some experts have opined that the Finance and Planning Ministry was lured by the more than $100 million it would save by awarding the contract to Life of Jamaica. The National Contracts Commission's (NCC) latest list of endorsements revealed that LoJ would receive $148.93 million to administer the scheme while unconfirmed reports are that Blue Cross was receiving close to $250 million per annum.

Meanwhile, the top brass of the Ministry of Finance and Planning will be hoping that they will be successful in their bid to rid the public sector of the unhealthy state of affairs that has gripped it since The Gleaner broke news some two weeks ago that the GEASO health scheme might change carriers.

Dr. Omar Davies, Minister of Finance and Planning and Fitz Jackson, Minister of State with portfolio responsibility for the Public Sector, are the convenors of the meeting that is scheduled to get underway at 1:00 p.m.

A representative from the Ministry's communication and public relations unit told The Gleaner that the media will not be allowed to cover the meeting.

In addition to union representatives, an invitation has been extended to the police representatives and the Nurses Association of Jamaica (NAJ), who are members of the GEASO monitoring committee.

A release issued by the Ministry yesterday, said that the Ministers called the meeting for two reasons. "to hear and address the growing concerns among stakeholders about the contract ... and Blue Cross claims".