Burlington Free Press

In the April 12 “My Turn” in the Burlington Free Press, Bruce Lisman writes “Is health care reform important? Of course it is. Yet politicians in Montpelier are ‘rocketing’ us to a new system without showing us the cost.”

Really?

Mr. Lisman is apparently ignorant of, or is ignoring, four official studies commissioned by the state on health care costs since 2001. These include the Lewin report in 2001; the Thorpe report in 2006; the Hsiao report in 2011; and the BISHCA report in 2011. The findings of these reports show that “single- payer” health care will control costs better than any other system. Ten plus years of study isn’t exactly “rocketing” toward a new system. The obvious intended target of Mr. Lisman here is the Green Mountain Health Care Board and the transition to “single payer.”

The above criticism by Mr. Lisman regardless of the facts shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone familiar with this issue. Many of those against real reform are opportunists using fear to generate opposition to a new system for political and/or economic gain. The health insurance industry and their political allies have been guilty of such misrepresentations and propaganda numerous times.

The “Harry and Louise” ads in 1993-94 against the Clinton health plan are a prime example, along with “Death Panels for Granny” more recently. Some other opponents such as right wing pundits oppose any government run program strictly on ideological grounds. They would have us believe a universal health care plan such as “single payer” will cause the end of western civilization as we know it! This is in spite of Medicare, that is similar to a “single payer,” being a model of efficiency compared to health insurance plans in the private sector. I personally know of this, since I’ve had experience with both types of coverage.

Pulitzer Prize winning author and Princeton professor Paul Starr, in his book, “Remedy and Reaction,” discusses our current system. Health care reform, or lack of it, since World War II has become ensnarled in a “policy trap” that has evolved in a complicated system that has enriched those in the health care industry and has made change extraordinarily difficult. The events over the last few years regarding “The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” — not to mention the defunct “Public Option” — makes his case abundantly clear. The result is 50 million uninsured at any one time, at least that many more underinsured, health costs approximately double per capita, and lower life expectancy than other advanced countries with “single payer” such as Australia, Japan, Canada, and the U.K. At least here in Vermont we have a chance to reverse this trend as we “rocket” toward real reform.

It should be pretty obvious that Mr. Lisman is attempting to use his fortune in the form of the expensive media blitz, “Campaign for Vermont,” to become a “player” in Vermont politics. This is similar to the political ambitions of Rich Tarrant and Jack McMullen whose wealth, in their opinion, immediately entitled them to high political office. Since Mr. Lisman has claimed that he favors health care reform, let’s hear what his solution is to this staggering problem. Otherwise, he is apparently satisfied just to attack Green Mountain Health Care without providing an alternative.

Jerry Kilcourse lives in Montpelier.