Dems defeat ultimatum on single-payer plan

Rutland HeraldBy DAVE GRAM MONTPELIER — Gov. Peter Shumlin was spared a tough squeeze Friday when his fellow Democrats in the Vermont House defeated a demand that he soon produce a financing plan for the universal, state-backed health care system he wants to launch in 2017. The battle was fought in a series of amendments […]

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Shumlin: ‘Don’t Quit’ On Single Payer Before Work Begins

Vermont Public RadioBy Bob Kinzel Gov. Peter Shumlin is fiercely defending his plan to implement a single payer health care system after Senate President John Campbell expressed concerns about the plan. A number of Democrats are reluctant to commit to a single payer plan before there’s a comprehensive review of the $2 billion financing system […]

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New Group Puts $100k Behind Single Payer Push, Says Much More Likely Coming

 Vermont Public Radio By PETER HIRSCHFELD Vermont’s Coalition for Universal Reform is an advocacy organization pushing for single payer health care. The fight for single payer health care promises to be one of the heaviest political lifts in state history. And a new group is about to put some financial weight behind the lobbying push. […]

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SENATE PUSH AHEAD WITH HEALTH CARE REFORM, IN WAKE OF ADMINISTRATION DELAYS

 Vermont Digger The Vermont Senate doesn’t intend to sit on its hands when it comes to health care reform this session. Frustration with the troubled rollout of Vermont Health Connect has undermined public confidence in the state’s ability to execute reform plans, and senators say they are intent on ensuring the same mistakes aren’t repeated […]

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Health care leaders join Shumlin to create new cost reduction program

Vermont Digger Health care providers and insurers joined Gov. Peter Shumlin Wednesday to announce two new programs they hope will contain system-wide costs and improve treatment quality. “We all know that as we move to the first sensible health care system in America we’ve got to find a way to deliver better quality care for […]

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What the U.S. Health Care System Can Learn from Other Countries

Vermont Digger WASHINGTON, March 11 – A Senate panel chaired by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) heard today that other major countries offer better health care at less cost than the United States. “What this hearing is really about is two fundamental issues. First, the U.S., the wealthiest country on the planet, is the only major […]

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Single payer critique does not hold up

Stowe TodayBy: Lee Russ, Bennington Rep. Heidi Scheuermann’s column “Single-payer system: an unhealthy choice” (Feb. 20) spends more time criticizing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and our state’s online health exchange than it does explaining her opposition to single payer health care. It makes no sense to use problems with the ACA rollout as a […]

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Lawmakers Work To Meet 2015 Deadline For Single Payer Financing Plan

Vermont Public Radio By: Bob KinzelLegislative leaders say putting together a plan to finance a single payer health care system during the 2015 session is a very aggressive goal. But they say it’s also a timeline that’s critical to meet if the state is going to implement a publicly financed system in 2017. The two key […]

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