This commentary is by Ethan Parke of Montpelier, a former member of the Vermont Health Policy Council, a co-founder of Vermont Consumers’ Campaign for Health, and a current board member of Vermont Health Care for All.
The Senate Government Operations Committee has taken up S.39, which would “make members of the General Assembly eligible for the State employees’ health benefit plan at no cost….”
This comes at a time when many citizen advocates have been pleading with legislators to seriously consider extending publicly financed primary care to all Vermont residents. A House bill, H.156, and a Senate bill, S.74, would do just that, but both bills lack support from committee chairs and/or legislative leadership, and thus are unlikely to be discussed.