This commentary is by Lee Russ of Bennington, a retired legal editor who was lead editor and author of the third edition of “Couch on Insurance” and the “Attorneys Medical Advisor.”
Vermont is currently conducting a public debate about the financial health of the state’s hospitals. That’s a crucial question. Just as crucial is recognizing that the plight of Vermont’s hospitals is a symptom, not a disease.
I once described our current efforts at health care “reform” as analogous to a group of people watching a house burn. Though they are gathered around a fire hydrant and a hose is coiled at their feet, they ignore both and endlessly discuss how they might make it rain to put the fire out. Maybe prayer would work? A rain dance? Seeding the clouds? The house continues to burn. Continue reading….