Cape may become a health care model

By SARAH THACHER
An idea is cooking and rising on Cape Cod on how to deliver health care in a fair and equitable way to every person who lives in Barnstable County.

Cape Care is the brainchild of Dr. Brian O'Malley, who, as a physician, knows firsthand the reality of the fractured, confusing, grossly expensive and utterly unjust system we now operate under.

This idea envisions one county monetary fund from which all medical payments would be made for all medical expenditures for all people on Cape Cod. It would be funded by a progressive tax or premium, where people pay relative to what they can afford, and already available state and federal funds such as Medicaid, Medicare and Mass Health.

Money would be saved by not paying out to for-profit insurance companies and by cutting out most of the enormous administration costs needed now to run doctors' offices, administer hospitals and operate any kind of medical institution or business. Towns and municipalities that carry health policies for their employees would be relieved of that burden, allowing for lower taxes. Health care coverage would be separated from employment.

Cape Care and its monetary fund would be professionally administered, governed by a health policy board representing the community and a medical advisory board representing the health care providers. As envisioned now, preventive health services, acute care (outpatient and inpatient), rehabilitation services, mental health care and prescription drugs would be included. People would be free to choose from affiliated care providers.

For three years this plan has been worked on and developed by interested people from all over the Cape representing the medical, social services and business communities. It is now being introduced to the Cape Cod public by way of a nonbinding public opinion advisory question that will appear on the warrant at town meetings in 13 Cape towns.

Now, before town meeting time, people can learn about this idea at planned informational forums (dates to be announced), from the Cape Care Web site, www.capecare.info, and from copies of the resolution annotated with explanations, which will be available at libraries. Then people can discuss it with their neighbors, their doctor and the people who have been working on the plan and come to town meeting to help push the Cape Care concept to the county level by supporting the resolution.

At the county level it will be investigated and analyzed further as to its feasibility for Cape Cod. Then the work begins on an operational blueprint that points the way to making Cape Care a reality. With luck, next year we will be voting on a binding referendum and be on our way to becoming a model for the country of a humane and affordable health care system for every Cape Codder.

Sarah Thacher lives in

East Dennis.

(Published: March 9, 2006)