Push begins in Vermont for state Universal Single Payer Insurance

[Armstead]

http://www.7dvt.com/2009your-health

To Your Health

Fair Game
By Shay Totten <12.22.09>


With national health care reform on life support, Vermont lawmakers may be under increasing pressure to do something when they convene in January.

Advocates for a “Medicare for All” system, also known as “single payer,” will hit the ground running on day one of the 2010 legislative session.

On January 6, the first workday for lawmakers, the Vermont Workers’ Center will deliver thousands of signed postcards to them, demanding health care as a human right.

In 2008, the VWC launched the Healthcare Is a Human Right Campaign. On May 1, 2009, it organized a statehouse rally that drew roughly 1000 participants — on a weekday. The VWC is planning another rally for 2010, but this time May 1 falls on a Saturday.

Throughout the fall, VWC held a series of forums around the state. About 800 people, as well as 70 state legislators, took part.

VWC is also teaming up with the state’s largest nurses’ union to push for a single-payer health care system in Vermont.

At a press conference last week, Jennifer Henry, RN, said, “The money and power of the big corporations that creating a storm of distraction in Washington a distant rumbling in Vermont; what we hear loud and clear are the voices of our citizens.” Henry is the president of the 1700-member Fletcher Allen nurses’ union. “We need a Medicare-for-all-style system in Vermont … For a small state, Vermont has often been a leader. We have the will, we have the courage, we have the strength, and now we must work together to make it happen.”

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[MNDemNY]

1. Does the HCR bill not make this sort of thing illegal?

[Hello_Kitty]

4. Not necessarily illegal but since it lays out what kind of plans are permissable

It gives the insurance industry a lot of leverage to use the federal courts to put the kibosh on it.

[MNDemNY]

7. So...that would be "yes"?

[Hello_Kitty]

9. Yeah. The state could pass single payer in its legislature but not be able to implement it.

It's like how my state, Arizona, has a total ban on abortion on the books. Up to five years in jail for the woman and her doctor is the penalty for even attempting to get an abortion. Because Roe v. Wade is the law of the land that statute is inoperable. But it's still on the books.

[freddie mertz]

17. Then this could be the basis for a good court challenge.

The courts may be the last resort for those who oppose these horrible mandates.

[Blasphemer]

33. Interesting thought

I don't see a case against corporate mandates being successful if it ends up in the SCOTUS but a state suing for the right to implement a mandated (but public) alternative, is another thing entirely. If all Americans are required by Federal Law to have insurance and the state is going to provide it, then on what basis should they not be allowed to do so? At the very least, I hope such a case would garner a lot of national attention.

[Armstead]

5. One of the many unclear things in the stupid national bill

[MNDemNY]

8. The only thing "clear" is the stranglehold that the Industry has will be strengthened.

[Armstead]

10. From the article...

Sen. Doug Racine (D-Chittenden) also supports a single-payer system. “I think we can move forward regardless of what Washington does,” said Racine, who is chair of the Senate Health and Welfare Committee. He plans to host hearings this session to examine how Vermont can move to Medicare for All.

“We’re already operating under a number of Medicaid waivers to provide some programs,” Racine noted, “so we’re providing a lot of health care but in a rather convoluted way.” He’d like Vermont to start building a single-payer model by streamlining our federally funded health care programs.

Racine is one of five Democrats running for governor in 2010.

[cali]

21. It's not just Doug

There's a legislative initiative also.

[liberalpragmatist]

15. Probably not

... Sanders slipped in a state waiver, whereby a state can implement its own program, including single-payer and opt out of the mandate requirements IF they can at least equal the coverage provisions of the national plan.

Now we'll see if that survives negotiations, but if so that would make state single payer completely legit.

[andym]

18. So the Senate bill allows single-payer as long as it meets or exceeds coverage

of the fed bill?

[liberalpragmatist]

22. Yes

Again, we'll have to see if that survive conference.

Also, states can opt out of the individual mandate if they can guarantee coverage some other way - Hawaii, for example, has 95% coverage with an employer mandate only, so they may be able to opt out of the individual mandate.

[Armstead]

24. Wouldn;t be hard tp meet or exceed the US bill

[andym]

29. True. nt.

[AnOhioan]

2. Go Vermont...let them succeed and watch the rest come around

[Hello_Kitty]

3. But won't the new federal law supercede it?

I have no doubt insurance cos. will sue if any state tries to implement a single-payer system once the bill is signed.

[Armstead]

6. My God -- Somebody actually Unrecommended this?

Jeeze what a maroon (as Curley used to say)

[mdmc]

13. I think there is something else at play

I think some du'ers are against the unrec feature and unrec everything to prove it does not work.

I also think some people use the rec/unre function as a "like"/"unlike" function. They like Dean, so they "rec" positive Dean stories. They hate Cheney, so the "unrec" stories about Cheney.

[Armstead]

27. Or they just don't like me

[liskddksil]

11. Vermont is looking very appealing for me right now...

[alsame]

12. I think this is what Bernie Sanders has been

planning all along. For months he's been saying that Single Payer would most likely be implemented state by state.

Go Bernie! Go Vermont!

[daa]

14. Why is this necessary since Obama passed the greatest

achievement since 1930?????

[Vidar]

16. Bravo Vermont & Bernie!

[Armstead]

28. That's a little prematrure -- It has to get done first ,but Bravo to the people of Vt. and Bernie

[Odin2005]

19. Yay Vermont!

[davidwparker]

20. If it weren't for 3 feet of snow at any given time, Vermont would be my

preferred state of residence.

Keep it liberal, y'all. Show us the way!

[Armstead]

26. No snow in July -- It's melted by then

Starts up again in september though

[ShadowLiberal]

23. Would a small state like Vermont be able to make a strong single payer system?

From what I understand part of why the single payer system is most efficient is because the government acts as an insurance company, and with so many people living in the nation, and all of them automatically signed up for the single payer system, that gives them more bargaining power with hospitals/drug companies to get lower prices.

I know Canada has less people then California, and single payer works great there at getting good deals, but does a small state like Vermont have enough people for a single payer system to have enough bargaining power to work?

[Armstead]

25. Would depend on how they did it

I'm not smart enough to outlone how a small state could get the clout, but they are looking into various alternatives

[flamingdem]

30. knr

[inna]

31. Now, here's something to enthusiastically support! Big K&R.

[Armstead]

32. Kick because Vermonters are on to something