Health Plan for Uninsured in Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., Set to Begin This Winter

The towns of Martha's Vineyard, Mass., have teamed up to purchase affordable health insurance for the island's 3,000 uninsured residents under a federally funded program, Island Health Plan, expected to begin this winter, the Boston Globe reports. Around 20% of year-round Vineyard residents do not have health insurance, compared with the Massachusetts average of 6.4%, according to health officials. Many island residents who work in the tourism industry cannot afford health insurance, and about 80% of small businesses on the island do not offer employees health benefits. Island Health Plan is the first major program launched from a $1.2 million HHS grant to Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket and Cape Cod that was received in 2000 to help increase access to care in the region. Island Health Plan Director Cynthia Mitchell said the health plan also will be paid for through a "mix of funding streams," including federal and state funds, local taxes, which might need to be raised, and foundations. The health plan will cover primary care, emergency care and a "range of other services," and beneficiaries will contribute a monthly premium based on income, likely between $200 and $600 for a family of four with an annual income of up to $72,000. Beneficiaries also will contribute copayments and possibly deductibles. Officials are working with Neighborhood Health Plan to convince eight primary care doctors to accept Island Health Plan beneficiaries. Neighborhood Health Plan also will help manage a marketing campaign to publicize the new health plan. "Instead of the government providing universal coverage, these are people themselves forming the partnerships," Mitchell said, adding, "This is a community problem and a community-driven response." Alan Hirshberg, director of emergency medicine for Martha's Vineyard Hospital, said, "It's still unclear how many groups will take advantage of this." However, Mitchell said the plan could become a model for other towns, and the Globe reports that the health plan could be replicated in Cape Cod and Nantucket (Healy, Boston Globe, 9/15).