With state regulators set to vote on OneCare Vermont’s $903 million budget in less than a week, critics are stepping forward to slam the performance and transparency of the Colchester-based accountable care organization.
Detractors charge that OneCare – which is coordinating the state’s “all-payer” attempt at health care payment reform – is using public money to set up a new layer of bureaucracy that will not lower costs or increase patient access.
“I am deeply troubled by the amount of public money Vermont has spent on the floundering (all-payer) experiment while Vermonters struggle with the costs of paying for basic medical care,” said Deb Richter, a Montpelier-based physician. “This experiment is putting the cart before the horse and should be terminated until we ensure that all Vermonters are covered with comprehensive coverage.”