Editorials

by Dr. Marvin Malek The mudslinging that passes for a health policy debate between the presidential candidates must be almost incomprehensible to those who don’t follow the health issue closely, and can only be viewed as bizarre by those who do. Each is accusing the other of proposing policies that will destroy the Medicare program. […]

by Wendell Potter When I read that Fletcher Allen Health Care and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center were forming a new for-profit entity to administer Vermonters’ Medicare benefits, one thing leapt off the screen: the term “for-profit.” As someone who worked for two of the country’s largest for-profit health insurers over nearly 20 years, I know how […]

Editor’s note: This op-ed is by Dr. Peggy Anna Carey of Burlington, who is a family physician. Fletcher Allen Health Care and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center have formed their new accountable care organization (ACO) called OneCare Vermont. The stated vision is “a statewide network with a coordinated clinical model and toolset … to enhance the quality […]

Citizen activism is alive and well in Vermont. Thanks to more than 1,000 people who contacted the Green Mountain Care Board, the recommendation to add dental benefits to exchange health plans is now on the table. This does not mean that the board will finally vote for a comprehensive dental coverage package, but it does […]

The attempt to make health care reform a central issues in this year’s gubernatorial race is a step backwards in an area in which Vermont needs to move forward. At some point, we have to stop arguing and start doing.Vermont’s efforts to come up with a single-payer system for health care deserves a chance, at […]

Rutland Herald   Gov. Peter Shumlin launched his re-election campaign on a positive note, saying he would say nothing negative about his opponent, Republican Randy Brock. But Shumlin was happy to trash Brock’s proposals on health care, which, according to the governor, would reverse the state’s considerable progress and hand over Vermonters’ well-being to the […]

Rutland Herald  After watching Vermonters for Health Care Freedom’s new commercial, I was reminded of what my former colleagues in the health insurance industry and I used to do to influence public opinion, often using deceptive tactics. I was also reminded of why I left my job as an industry executive and began speaking out […]

Addison Independent By Willem Jewett [Note: Willem Jewett is Assistant Majority Leader, Vermont State House of Representatives, and Representative from Addison-2 District] Health reform continues to be debated on national and state political stages. Sometimes the power of personal stories is lost in these debates. As we head toward another winter of debating health care […]

VTDiggerEditor’s note: This op-ed is by Ethan Parke, a resident of Montpelier. Single payer critics warn that Vermont should not go forward with Green Mountain Care because there are too many unknowns. But one thing is certain — if we do nothing, health care expenditures in Vermont (from all sources) are expected to reach $10 […]

Rutland Herald Three hospitals in Colorado have announced that they will forgive the medical bills of the victims of the Aurora, Colo., mass shooting. A kind gesture. These individuals suffered serious gunshot wounds, and many will be left with lifelong disabilities. It seemed like this was enough suffering for these individuals and their families to […]