Reforming the Island’s expensive health care system will not cost Bermudians more, but requires better use of what we already spend.That was the message in one of the last public meetings to be held on the National Health Plan.Health Minister Zane DeSilva told his audience at Francis Patton Primary School: “If, after this, people say to us that they want to keep health care as it is, then no, we can’t afford to do that. We can’t afford to have our health care costs going up even more.”Along with Permanent Secretary Kevin Monkman and Bermuda Health Council CEO Jennifer Attride-Stirling, Mr DeSilva spoke before about 40 members of the public at the 43rd public meeting on the National Health Plan Consultation Paper. The deadline for feedback to be sent to the Bermuda Health Council is April 30.The audience included United Bermuda Party MP Grant Gibbons, former senator Walton Brown and National Health Council chairwoman Linda Merritt.Mr DeSilva said: “Some have said that this is a plan that we as Government have already made up our minds about. Not true. We’re not doing this simply because we don’t know what to do. We have received hundreds of calls on this, and look forward to coming back with our final paper that will go before Cabinet.”The Health Plan, which Dr Attride-Stirling called “a road map for health care reform”, is expected to go before Cabinet in June.There have been 15 reviews of our health care system since 1996, she said, which have “reiterated many of the same things”.“The health care system in Bermuda is very expensive,” she said. “Also, countries that are spending less than we are, are providing universal health care.” In Bermuda there are an estimated 6,500 people without coverage or with inadequate insurance. What we need is to stretch the $558 million currently in our health care system to cover everybody.”An audience member, Amanda Outerbridge, addressed the panel: “I think it’s really concerning that only 400 people have been exposed to your presentation. I don’t think there’s been a sense of urgency amongst people.”She said she knew of one insurance group that had recently been meeting with companies on the issue, to which Mr DeSilva responded: “There has been one particular insurance company that has met with several. We understand the fear and we are going to rebut that. We’re very displeased to find out that one insurance company has been putting out major mis-truths with regard to this.“When people are being told that it’s going to cost them 35 to 40 percent of their income I’d be afraid as well. It’s very disingenuous to report that.”Although the company was not named, The Royal Gazette understands that the Health Plan’s ramifications have recently been a topic of dispute between the Ministry of Health and Colonial Insurance.Wayne Scott told the panel: “I haven’t seen anything that relates to lifestyle choices.” He said any plan that did not factor in benefits and penalties based on the issue would be “flawed from the start”.Mr DeSilva agreed, saying: “Those who look after themselves should be rewarded.”Human rights campaigner David Northcott said that Bermuda’s lack of universal health care should be seen as a human rights issue, while Henry Dowling said he felt there should be more oversight of spending by Bermuda’s hospitals.Dr Attride-Stirling agreed that Bermuda needed to direct its spending more efficiently, saying: “The hospital is the first, and very large boulder that we started to look under.”Dr Gibbons said that in comparing local hospital care with overseas, “in many cases, overseas is less expensive. As we start to shift service back to the hospital here, we may find the cost of services going up.”He said that in terms of implementing the Health Plan, “the devil is in the details, and with the details we have it’s difficult to evaluate”.“That’s why we’re having this consultation period,” Mr DeSilva responded. “We have to get the devil out. If you have a list of a hundred things you think we should do, I hope you will submit them.”Written feedback can be sent to healthcouncil[AT]bhec.bm. Comments by phone can go to 278 4960.