Vermont Legislature Votes to Begin Designing 'Single-Payer' System

[babylonsister]

Published on Saturday, April 24, 2010 by the Associated Press
Vermont Legislature Votes to Begin Designing 'Single-Payer' System


MONTPELIER, Vt. - Vermont lawmakers made clear Friday that recently enacted federal health care reform did not go far enough toward a public model, passing legislation that could bring to the state the "public option" health insurance rejected by Washington or even a Canadian-style single-payer system.


Cover us all: Advocates of a single-payer health care system rally on the University of Vermont campus in Burlington before a 2009 White House-organized forum.

By a vote of 91-42, the Democratic controlled House passed its own version of legislation passed earlier by the Senate. Both bills call for designing a single-payer system, in which a government agency would administer and make all payments for health care.

The House version calls for that as well as a parallel design of a system with a public option for health insurance, meaning a system in which a health insurance program offered by the government would compete against those offered by private companies. The House's version also would expand previously enacted reform efforts.

Either system would require federal approval.

more...

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2010/04/24-3

[aquart]

1. Does Vermont only elect sane, reasonable people?

Could they show Arizona how?

[cali]

5. nah, we have our clunkers

like our guv, jim douglas and the lt guv brian dubie, but the legislature is a good one and it's been good for almost a decade now.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

2. I already wanted to move to Vermont and this just seals it.

Vermont, let me count the ways: Bernie Sanders. Howard Dean. The town that voted to impeach Bush. Incredible beauty. Smart People.

I am always on Craigs list looking at property. Vermont here I come! Maybe in three or four years.

Now, wouldn't it be cool if Vermont passed single payer and did it right and had healthcare for all it's ctizens as well as a huge employment engine - new healthcare positions, new clinics and hospitals funding the building trades, etc. and became a model for the rest of the country and the world? There is nothing wrong with a service economy and what service is better than providing for and caring for our fellow countrymen?

[ellenfl]

3. woo hoo! i wish i didn't live in a reddish state. i hope more

states will do this. gives me more residence choices. :eyes:

ellen fl

[rox63]

4. This once again gets me to consider moving to VT

It's a beautiful place, even without a public option.

[cali]

6. If, in November, we elect any of the five dems running- they all support single payer-

we'll have a single payer system up and running within 3 year in Vermont. If we're stupid enough to elect Brian Dubie, fuggedaboutit.