Hundreds of Vermonters speak up for single payer at health care meeting at Statehouse

[cali]

Hundreds attend health care hearing at Statehouse

By Anne Galloway on January 13, 2010

Last night, the seats of the Vermont House Chamber were filled not with the august members of the General Assembly (though plenty of them were present), but with Vermonters from around the state who had come to speak their minds about legislative proposals for universal health care.

Representatives from the Vermont League of Women Voters, the Vermont Workers Center, the Vermont Psychiatric Association spoke in support of H.100, H.491 and S.88, bills that would change the way health care is delivered and move Vermont toward a single-payer system.

Hundreds of people attended the three-hour hearing held by the Vermont House Health Committee and the Senate Health and Welfare Committee. Many were wearing red t-shirts from the Vermont Workers Center’s Health Care is a Human Right campaign.

Seven Days reported that by 8 p.m. only half of the people present who came to speak had had an opportunity to give testimony. The three-hour hearing was slated to end at 9 p.m.

The witnesses who spoke came from Brattleboro and Bennington, the Northeast Kingdom, Rutland, and Chittenden County. A broad spectrum of Vermonters gave testimony: Office workers, doctors, psychiatrists, retirees, a town road crew worker and many people with disabilities.

Most were in favor of a universal health care system. A handful of people warned that extending coverage under a universal plan would bankrupt the state and impinge on Vermonters’ freedoms.

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http://vtdigger.org/2010/01/13/hundreds-attend-health-care-hearing-at-statehouse/

[Captain Hilts]

1. They live right next door to Canada and don't believe the media's lies. nt

[cali]

2. probably has something to do with it. we also have

fairly good local coverage- the best of which is my good friend Annie's vtdigger- started only a few short months ago.

[truedelphi]

5. Is it available to us with our computers that stream media stuff? n/t

[cali]

7. yes.

just follow the link.

[leftstreet]

3. K&R

[raccoon]

4. Off to greatest with you! nt

[ljm2002]

6. That's great!

I seem to remember that one of the points of contention in the HR reform bills was a provision that would prevent states from being allowed to implement their own single-payer systems if they chose to do so.

If that is the case, then maybe we should also put some efforts into pressuring our Senators and Representatives to make sure that provision is removed from the final bill.