Rutland Herald

The perspective of the officials of Southwest Vermont Health Care may appear to be neutral in its point of view, but it is anything but. The writers state the three principles of health reform, which must be adhered to: universal coverage, based on a person’s ability to pay and having the right to choose your doctor. The writers tell voters that any reform of health care in Vermont must include the details of how much each Vermonter will pay. They state all this, implying that all this is happening now, which is certainly not the case. They write that “if health reform were simple, we’d have done it already.” They fail to state why health reform is difficult. It is because of the unmitigated greed. Concern for patients is at the bottom of the list, while the health of the bottom lines of insurance companies is at the top. The “system” they have created is one in which our own good health depends on the good health of insurance companies. Yes, Vermonters should pay close attention to the details of health reform and they always should be wary of the opinions of people such as the president and the CMO of health care providers. Over and over, politicians will say we have the best health care in the world, which is far from true. That’s possible, but it won’t be possible without removing for-profit insurance companies from the equation.

ROSS LAFFAN

Rochester