Health Care System is a Shambles, Warns Fremont Expert

By Tom Herriman

Kathleen O'Connor

O'Connor, who is a little surprised to find herself in this situation, is a long-time Seattle resident who lives in Queen Anne but is an ardent, Fremont enthusiast.

"The health care system is on the verge of collapse. We've created a monster," O'Connor said, citing the freeze on individual insurance policies in Washington and the skyrocketing cost of insurance and health services throughout the country.

A full page article by O'Connor in the Sunday Focus section of the Seattle Times a few months ago sharpened public awareness of the issue and drew responses from patients, doctors, employers and insurers. Interest in her first article was so strong that the Times signed her up for a monthly op-ed series of articles on the health care system.

"We're the only country in the world where your health insurance is tied to where you work," said O'Connor. "Most industrialized countries handle health care through the government social service system as a basic human right. As a result we've got 40 million people with no insurance. Employers throw benefits at workers to keep them happy, then blame the workers for cost increases because they use the benefits."

The system is over-regulated, according to O'Connor. "Medicare has 146,000 pages of regulations, adding a huge administrative cost to a system that has no control over costs."

O'Connor's ideas are the product of several years of research and writing on health care.

She has degrees in Japanese and comparative government. Her apartment overlooking Lake Union is filled with Japanese ceramics and prints, which she acquired in several trips to Japan.

She worked for several years as a University of Washington administrator and published a newsletter and later a book on Alzheimer's disease. She then started to get free-lance assignments on health care issues, which prompted her to set up her own firm, O'Connor Communications.

O'Connor recently published several articles in Washington CEO on the subject of caring for aging parents. She's looking into possible national syndication of her health care column.

What's the solution to the health care crisis?

"First we need to define our goals," said O'Connor. "What do we want from our health system?

"I would get people to sit down, county by county across the U.S. to define what makes a healthy community, and what we need to do to get there. The most important thing is to get people talking--consumers, insurers, providers and government. If we can decide what the goal is of our health system, then we can take steps to reach the goal."

O'Connor considers herself a Fremont resident.

"I shop there, meet friends there and I belong to Fremont Rotary Fun Club." And, added O'Connor, "I love the blend of old and new and the diversity of the community."

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