Jess Wagener, ER Doctor, Middlebury
I am an emergency room physician in Middlebury. In my practice I see every day the effect our irrational and unequal system has on ordinary people. The people I see who are most adversely affected by the current system are middle class – farmers and small business owners who don’t work for the state or a large corporation. These people have access only to expensive private insurance plans with high deductibles. They delay seeking regular care or treatment for minor problems, allowing small problems to become big ones. They don’t have prescription plans and can’t afford the price of medication that they need.
For these families, even a minor illness or injury can push them over the edge into financial ruin. It is very sad to tell a patient that they need an X-Ray or CT scan only to be told – Doctor I just can’t afford it. I’m still paying off medical expenses from a previous illness. These are hardworking members of our community – and they are being asked to make impossible choices. The cost of medical care, even for a non catastrophic problem like a broken leg or a bad headache is so out of proportion to what ordinary people can actually pay that it is like a slap in the face.
It doesn’t have to be this way. If we had a single payer system we could slash administrative costs by 25%, reduce our per capita cost for individuals by one half what we are paying now (as do most other industrialized countries) relieve our businesses of the burden of providing care to employees and give our citizens the security of knowing that care is there when they need it. Luckily in Vermont we are in a unique position to lead the way. Because we are a small state, and we care about our neighbors, we already have better access to care than any other state in the country. If we enacted single payer at a statewide level, I believe the results would inspire the rest of the country to follow.