Vermont may get a waiver from Obamacare

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(Host) Governor-elect Peter Shumlin says he's optimistic that he can persuade the Obama administration to grant Vermont a special waiver to implement a single payer health care system.

Shumlin says he's already raised this issue with the president, and he'll do it again when he visits the White House early next month.

VPR's Bob Kinzel reports.

(Kinzel) The possibility of Vermont winning a federal waiver to put a single payer health care system in place was a top issue in the gubernatorial campaign.

Republican candidate Brian Dubie said that 2014 is the earliest a waiver could be issued under the new national health care reform law.

But Democrat Peter Shumlin argued that Vermont's congressional delegation could petition the Obama administration to make it happen sooner.

Speaking on VPR's Vermont Edition, Shumlin says he's already spoken to the president about this issue.

(Shumlin) "I had the privilege of talking to the President of the United States earlier today. He called me from Air Force One. A lot of bizarre things have happened to me in the last five days, but that's one of them. You know, you pick up the phone and there's the president at the end of the line. It was a real honor."

(Kinzel) And Shumlin says he doesn't think getting a federal waiver will be the toughest part of implementing a single payer system in Vermont.

 

(Shumlin) "The waivers is the easy part. The hard part is designing a single payer health care system that works and that delivers quality health care, gets insurers off our providers' backs, has a reimbursement system that makes sense. ... I believe if we design that system, we can sell it."

(Kinzel) The Legislature is expected to receive a special study this winter that will outline several different health care reform plans. One of them will be a single payer approach.

Once that report has been released, Shumlin says he wants to bring together a diverse group of businesspeople, health care providers and consumers to hammer out a workable plan. The governor-elect says it should have 4 specific goals.

(Shumlin) "Delivers quality health care to all Vermonters, where health care is a right and not a privilege. Second, is affordable. The current system is going to drown us and will bankrupt us. We can't spend a million dollars more a day than we did the day before. Third, provide outcomes-based medicine so that providers are reimbursed for keeping us healthy, not the number of tests they put us through. And finally, fourth, and perhaps most important, using technology."

http://www.vpr.net/news_detail/89208/

[zqt3344 21]

Obamacare is a joke and failure it has done nothing to drive down the cost of insurance and provides me with nothing I could not already get on my own. He sucks and is going down in 2012 and anyone thinking different wanna bet?

(Host) Governor-elect Peter Shumlin says he's optimistic that he can persuade the Obama administration to grant Vermont a special waiver to implement a single payer health care system.

Shumlin says he's already raised this issue with the president, and he'll do it again when he visits the White House early next month.

VPR's Bob Kinzel reports.

(Kinzel) The possibility of Vermont winning a federal waiver to put a single payer health care system in place was a top issue in the gubernatorial campaign.

Republican candidate Brian Dubie said that 2014 is the earliest a waiver could be issued under the new national health care reform law.

But Democrat Peter Shumlin argued that Vermont's congressional delegation could petition the Obama administration to make it happen sooner.

Speaking on VPR's Vermont Edition, Shumlin says he's already spoken to the president about this issue.

(Shumlin) "I had the privilege of talking to the President of the United States earlier today. He called me from Air Force One. A lot of bizarre things have happened to me in the last five days, but that's one of them. You know, you pick up the phone and there's the president at the end of the line. It was a real honor."

(Kinzel) And Shumlin says he doesn't think getting a federal waiver will be the toughest part of implementing a single payer system in Vermont.

 

(Shumlin) "The waivers is the easy part. The hard part is designing a single payer health care system that works and that delivers quality health care, gets insurers off our providers' backs, has a reimbursement system that makes sense. ... I believe if we design that system, we can sell it."

(Kinzel) The Legislature is expected to receive a special study this winter that will outline several different health care reform plans. One of them will be a single payer approach.

Once that report has been released, Shumlin says he wants to bring together a diverse group of businesspeople, health care providers and consumers to hammer out a workable plan. The governor-elect says it should have 4 specific goals.

(Shumlin) "Delivers quality health care to all Vermonters, where health care is a right and not a privilege. Second, is affordable. The current system is going to drown us and will bankrupt us. We can't spend a million dollars more a day than we did the day before. Third, provide outcomes-based medicine so that providers are reimbursed for keeping us healthy, not the number of tests they put us through. And finally, fourth, and perhaps most important, using technology."

http://www.vpr.net/news_detail/89208/

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

(Host) Governor-elect Peter Shumlin says he's optimistic that he can persuade the Obama administration to grant Vermont a special waiver to implement a single payer health care system.

The governor-elect says it should have 4 specific goals.

(Shumlin) "Delivers quality health care to all Vermonters, where health care is a right and not a privilege. Second, is affordable. The current system is going to drown us and will bankrupt us. We can't spend a million dollars more a day than we did the day before. Third, provide outcomes-based medicine so that providers are reimbursed for keeping us healthy, not the number of tests they put us through. And finally, fourth, and perhaps most important, using technology."

Awesome. VT should most certainly get a waiver to pursue the single payer pilot. We'll all get there eventually.

[Pooky 3,825]

Awesome. VT should most certainly get a waiver to pursue the single payer pilot. We'll all get there eventually.

And when it works in VT, ex-President Obama will finally realise that he blew it by selling out the country he gave an oath to serve by pandering to the insurance companies, unions and Congress to get something passed rather than trying to get the right thing passed.

On a side note, Gary will have to change his siggie, because something is going to happen in VT.

[DEDixon 39]

VT will be a magnate for the uninsured. Relocating cost little compared to surgery and medical care in general. I hope they do it. It will take years to determine its success or failure, but I predict failure. I just don't think any one state can do this alone.

[Dan J 277]

VT will be a magnate for the uninsured. Relocating cost little compared to surgery and medical care in general. I hope they do it. It will take years to determine its success or failure, but I predict failure. I just don't think any one state can do this alone.

It also has a very strong possibility of being an economic boon for the state.

1. Workers are going to be healthier, less lost productivity due to illness.

2. More people willing to take the risk of starting their own business as health care wont be a concern.

3. Less #######, dealing with only one health insurance provider.

Sure it might attract the sick, but its likely to attract a lot of people who are not sick either. If it becomes a problem, they can charge new residents more (for a year or two) unless they were relocated by an employer.

[DEDixon 39]

It also has a very strong possibility of being an economic boon for the state.

1. Workers are going to be healthier, less lost productivity due to illness.

2. More people willing to take the risk of starting their own business as health care wont be a concern.

3. Less #######, dealing with only one health insurance provider.

Sure it might attract the sick, but its likely to attract a lot of people who are not sick either. If it becomes a problem, they can charge new residents more (for a year or two) unless they were relocated by an employer.

don't think so but time will tell.

[JohnSmith2007 353]

And when it works in VT, ex-President Obama will finally realise that he blew it by selling out the country he gave an oath to serve by pandering to the insurance companies, unions and Congress to get something passed rather than trying to get the right thing passed.

On a side note, Gary will have to change his siggie, because something is going to happen in VT.

Obama and his congress had its chance, they did blow it. I hope this works, I really do. It could start us on the way to a national single payer despite Obama and the dems.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

And when it works in VT, ex-President Obama will finally realise that he blew it by selling out the country he gave an oath to serve by pandering to the insurance companies, unions and Congress to get something passed rather than trying to get the right thing passed.

On a side note, Gary will have to change his siggie, because something is going to happen in VT.

I already did change it.

Vermont has had a health care system in place for some years but it is kind of a "hybrid" right now. Bernie Sanders proposed the single payer system and got stoned by the Dems for doing so (even though that is what they all want) The only thing worse than a Socialist is a Socialist that says he isn't. Can't trust those guys.

The big question here is whether they will allow Canadians to contiue on the cash and carry basis as they heavily subsidize our health system here. The hospitals facilities we have could never survive on Vermont residents only. We need Canadians escaping their system to subsidize ours. I would hate to see all of them go over to New York.

If we handle it as well as we handle being armed without permits, (and without crime) the rest of the country can all scratch their head and wonder how it is done.

Obama and his congress had its chance, they did blow it. I hope this works, I really do. It could start us on the way to a national single payer despite Obama and the dems.

I would prefer to see STATE run systems.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

It also has a very strong possibility of being an economic boon for the state.

1. Workers are going to be healthier, less lost productivity due to illness.

2. More people willing to take the risk of starting their own business as health care wont be a concern.

3. Less #######, dealing with only one health insurance provider.

Sure it might attract the sick, but its likely to attract a lot of people who are not sick either. If it becomes a problem, they can charge new residents more (for a year or two) unless they were relocated by an employer.

we already have more or less a state government program, or at least government guaranteed health care. ALL Vermonters have health insurance. It has been that way for a few years. So there should be no major difference there. The talk around here is "What happens to the Canadians?" The local medical facilites need them. Within 2 hours drive there are 4 times as many Canadians as Americans. They pay cash, or private insurance or some are paid by the Canadian system. Local facilities want to ensure they will still be able to serve cash customers, otherwise what are we going to do with all these MRI machines?

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

VT will be a magnate for the uninsured. Relocating cost little compared to surgery and medical care in general. I hope they do it. It will take years to determine its success or failure, but I predict failure. I just don't think any one state can do this alone.

Not true. We have had state guaranteed health insurance for a few years now. Vermont's population is remarkably, almost unbelieveably, stable. It is nearly the same as it was in the 1900 census. Despite whatever we may offer in health insurance, clean environment and beautiful scenery, we STILL have some tough winters (so much for global warming) and a lack of industrial base.

In case you have been listening to Heracles, instead of someone that sees the parking lots every day, the medical facilities here really ARE heavily populated with Canadian license plates in their parking lots. That is a valuable subsidy. So is the fact that they escape their onnerous taxes by the hundreds of thousands by coming here to spend their good Canadian dollars. You could just as well speak French as English on Church St. today, "black Friday" there was a 2 hour delay at the Champlain border crossing at 4 AM this morning...coming south from Montreal. Why not? No 15% sales tax and no tax on clothes and shoes and lower prices in general than Canada AND the $$$ are nearly PAR, plus gas is more than $1 per gallon cheaper so they fill up before going home. They can take home up to $400 each tax free for a one day stay.

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I would prefer to see STATE run systems.

And that's exactly what the affordable care act (obamacare) provides for - exchanges run at the state level, except for states that say they don't want to do it and would rather have their residents participate in a federal-run exchange. Guess what? Quite a few states have elected to go with the Federal option, red states all. Weird.

Oh and the act also allows for states to form interstate compacts, so states can team up to offer a single exchange if they feel that is appropriate.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

And that's exactly what the affordable care act (obamacare) provides for - exchanges run at the state level, except for states that say they don't want to do it and would rather have their residents participate in a federal-run exchange. Guess what? Quite a few states have elected to go with the Federal option, red states all. Weird.

Oh and the act also allows for states to form interstate compacts, so states can team up to offer a single exchange if they feel that is appropriate.

So what do we need the FEDs for? The other states will follow along behind Vermont as usual.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

So what do we need the FEDs for?

Assure that the insurance industry meets certain uniform minimum standards. They as well as the states are free to go above but not below.

Edited November 27, 2010 by Mr. Big Dog

[DEDixon 39]

Not true. We have had state guaranteed health insurance for a few years now. Vermont's population is remarkably, almost unbelieveably, stable. It is nearly the same as it was in the 1900 census. Despite whatever we may offer in health insurance, clean environment and beautiful scenery, we STILL have some tough winters (so much for global warming) and a lack of industrial base.

In case you have been listening to Heracles, instead of someone that sees the parking lots every day, the medical facilities here really ARE heavily populated with Canadian license plates in their parking lots. That is a valuable subsidy. So is the fact that they escape their onnerous taxes by the hundreds of thousands by coming here to spend their good Canadian dollars. You could just as well speak French as English on Church St. today, "black Friday" there was a 2 hour delay at the Champlain border crossing at 4 AM this morning...coming south from Montreal. Why not? No 15% sales tax and no tax on clothes and shoes and lower prices in general than Canada AND the $$$ are nearly PAR, plus gas is more than $1 per gallon cheaper so they fill up before going home. They can take home up to $400 each tax free for a one day stay.

isn't that different from single payer?