Vermont moves forward on Single Payer (with the support of Leahy, Sanders and Welch)

[cali]

Vermont delegation to help clear obstacles to health reform

By Nancy Remsen, Free Press Staff Writer • Tuesday, January 18, 2011


MONTPELIER — The three members of Vermont’s congressional delegation stood with Gov. Peter Shumlin Tuesday and pledged to do their best to remove federal obstacles obstructing speedy and dramatic health care reform in the state.

Sens. Patrick Leahy, D-VT and Bernie Sanders, I-VT, and Rep. Peter Welch, D-VT, said they were already working the halls of Congress to muster support for a bill that would give Vermont and other states more flexibility in achieving the goals of the new federal health care law beginning in 2014 rather than waiting until 2017 to be allowed to experiment.

The date change would make it easier for Shumlin to accomplish his goal of moving Vermont toward a singlepayer health care system without wasting three years operating alternatives before the state could request a waiver.

Tuesday’s show of political unity for health reform set the stage for the unveiling today of three health care reform options, developed by Dr. William Hsiao, an economist and expert on health system chage at the Harvard University School of Public Health.

<snip>

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20110118/NEWS03/110118017/Vermont-delegation-to-help-clear-obstacles-to-health-reform

[DCKit]

1. Will they be allowed to set this example?

This is a clear danger to corporate profiteering.

[mmonk]

6. Yes it is.

Expect some attempts to derail.

[Davis_X_Machina]

2. I don't think there's any doubt...

....except at the fringes of the party (Ben Nelson, Heath Shuler, e.g.) that this is what should be done, and the present ACA represents only what can be done under existing political exigencies.

[ProSense]

3. Well

Sens. Patrick Leahy, D-VT and Bernie Sanders, I-VT, and Rep. Peter Welch, D-VT, said they were already working the halls of Congress to muster support for a bill that would give Vermont and other states more flexibility in achieving the goals of the new federal health care law beginning in 2014 rather than waiting until 2017 to be allowed to experiment.

...the House is preparing to repeal the health care law at this very moment.

[cali]

4. it's a vain exercise. there is no way that it will be repealed.

[mmonk]

5. I presume if they could repeal it, there would be no reason

Vermont could not proceed as soon as possible?