The recent negative ads on TV and radio by the mysteriously funded group, Vermonters for Health Care Freedom, are an obvious attempt to derail any future universal health care plan. However, if they are truly interested in real health care freedom for Vermonters, as their name implies, they should actually support a single-payer system. Some of the freedoms inherent in such a plan that would benefit Vermonters are:
Freedom from high premiums and large deductibles and copays, along with fighting with insurance companies for payment of medical bills.
Freedom from past medical history being used to deny coverage.
Freedom from large deductibles that discourage preventative medical exams and/or treatment of minor problems before they become major ones.
Freedom from unnecessary administrative costs such as large hospital billing departments, insurance underwriting, insurance claims examining and executive pay with “golden parachutes” that make health insurance more expensive.
Freedom from stress of staying at a job you dislike, and/or worrying about being downsized, outsourced, laid off, fired or otherwise terminated and losing benefits.
Freedom for employees to negotiate from a stronger position for higher salaries, more vacation, paid sick and maternity leave days, since loss of health care benefits wouldn’t be a factor.
Freedom for employers to concentrate on their business and not have to act as insurance agents for employee health care plans.
Freedom for startup businesses to compete for employees more easily with larger institutions and corporations that are self-insured.
Finally, from a humanitarian standpoint, freedom to have comprehensive health care for the 190,000 Vermonters who have no health insurance or are underinsured.
All of the above is possible if our politicians have the courage to pass such a plan so all Vermonters are included.
JERRY KILCOURSE
Montpelier