Vermont Moving Toward Single-Payer Health Care

One down, 49 states to go…

I love Vermont.  I spent some time there about 20 years ago and I think that experience was probably what planted the seed that eventually lead me to become a Democrat.

It’s can be a little crunchy granola, but Vermont is also an imminently sensible state that understands the need for people to look out for each other while applying good old New England Common Sense.

I hope other states will follow their example.

Single Payer is all that makes sense if you want to control Health Care Costs.

It works in Canada and the UK and just about every other first-world country…

From Reuters:

Vermont became the first state to lay the groundwork for single-payer health care on Thursday when its governor signed an ambitious bill aimed at establishing universal insurance coverage for all residents.

“This law recognizes an economic and fiscal imperative,” Democratic Governor Peter Shumlin said as he signed the bill into law at the State House.

“We must control the growth in health care costs that are putting families at economic risk and making it harder for small employers to do business.”

Legislators say the plan, approved by the Democratic controlled House and Senate this spring, aims to extend coverage to all 620,000 residents while containing soaring health care costs.

A key component establishes a state health benefits exchange, as mandated by new federal health care laws, that will offer coverage from private insurers, state-sponsored and multi-state plans. It also will include tax credits to make premiums affordable for uninsured Vermonters.

The exchange, called Green Mountain Care and managed by a five-member board, will set reimbursement rates for health care providers and streamline administration into a single, unified system.

Residents and small employers will be able to compare rates from the various plans and enroll for coverage of their choosing.

As designed, the goal is an eventual state-funded and operated single-payer system.

via Vermont moving toward single-payer health care | Reuters.