Physicians to the Vermont Legislature: Enact a single-payer health care system

[eridani]

Our health care system is failing. It denies care to millions in need, inflicts economic suffering on our patients and communities, and is increasingly bureaucratic.

Vermont is in a position to do better and to lead the nation out of our health care morass. We urge the Legislature to enact a single-payer health program. Such reform would reap enormous administrative savings by replacing the current dysfunctional private insurance system with a greatly streamlined financing mechanism. Redirecting the health dollars currently wasted on bureaucracy to clinical care would allow Vermont to offer comprehensive care to all Vermonters, eliminate all co-pays and deductibles, and give patients greater freedom to choose their own doctors and other providers -- without any increase in total health spending.

We, the undersigned physicians and medical students, urge you to do the right thing for Vermont and to set an example for the rest of the nation by enacting a single-payer plan.

Sign only here.
http://www.pnhp.org/vermont/sign.php
Sign and donate here. https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/307/p/salsa/web/common/public/content?content_item_KEY=8301

Background

Vermont’s lawmakers, concerned about the continuing problems of skyrocketing health care costs and inadequate access to care, will soon receive a report from a consultant on three state-based models of reform, including a single-payer plan.

The state’s new governor, Peter Shumlin, has repeatedly said that he wants Vermont to adopt a single-payer program. He reports that he has already spoken with President Obama and Kathleen Sebelius, head of Health and Human Services, about Vermont obtaining any federal waivers needed to create its own program. Sen. Bernie Sanders and other political leaders in Vermont have also pledged their support to work for the enactment of single payer.

If Vermont were to adopt a single-payer plan it would set a powerful example for other states and the nation. But its adoption by the Legislature is by no means assured.

We encourage you to express your support for the single-payer model and your solidarity with the people of Vermont by signing the letter or signing the letter and making a donation and, if appropriate, indicating that you would consider moving your practice to the state if it adopted a single-payer plan.

In addition to signing the Open Letter yourself, please distribute it as widely as possible among your colleagues and professional groups (societies, practice organizations, academic units, etc.).

We also urge you and your colleagues to support the campaign for single-payer reform by joining or making a tax-deductible donation to PNHP (donation or membership is not required to endorse the letter). You can earmark your donation for the Vermont effort, if you like.

Again, thank you for your support.

[CTyankee]

1. This is such a breath of fresh air!

I wish I were younger and could just up and move to VT! I want to live in a state with a socialist senator and a socialist agenda on health care. The rest of the civilized world thinks we're nuts...and we are!

[goforit]

14. Move to VT?....LOL!!! Get on HGTV and win a dream home in VT!!!

[Snaz]

2. as long as its ONLY vermont...

if Vermont wants to,....fine. just dont make it a fed govt mandate that EVERY state has to. i prefer not to live in a state that will end up as bad off as cali.

[digitaln3rd]

3. Yeah..

Cause it's not like it worked horribly for the UK and Canada and every other nation!

Here's hoping that it happens and Massachusetts follows suit :D

[Lord Magus]

6. The federal government should do it itself.

Medicare for all.

[villager]

8. They won't, of course. Not what they meant by "change." It will have to come from the states.

n/t

[Monk06]

7. In Canada single payer started out "Only in Saskatchewan" it took almost fifteen years to become

a national single payer system. It became national because
the doctors not the insurance companies saw the benefit of
a single payer system.

Get the insurance companies out of medical care, get national
single payer in. Otherwise the banks and insurance companies
will continue to enslave working people and bankrupt the nation.

[Justitia]

9. How about Texas? We have the highest number of uninsured in the nation.

This Texan would love to be "as bad off as cali"

[w8liftinglady]

11. don't forget the satire thingie....

Texas Loves leading the nation.

I know.I see the recipients of Texas' great health care.

[walldude]

12. If Vermont does then it will open the door to other states

but there will be no "forced" takeover. You will be able to keep your crappy for profit health care, and as soon as the Republicans are done you will still be able to be dropped for no reason, or because you had the nerve to get sick.

Don't worry, nobody is going to force you to get better health care cheaper.

[Gormy Cuss]

13. "fed govt mandates" aren't the reason "cali" is bad off. Most recently that's

Schwarzenegger's fault for failing to lead after supporting props 57 and 58.

[CreekDog]

17. the places with single payer healthcare have longer life expectancies and spend less on health care

than we here in the USA, spending twice as much at least as most of those other countries and still leaving 50 million without insurance coverage.

[ljm2002]

20. You do realize...

...that California does not have a single payer health system, right?

[HCE SuiGeneris]

4. K & R

[GreenPartyVoter]

5. Good luck, Vermont. I hope you can make it happen!

[Jim Lane]

10. Is it feasible in one state? Won't sick people move to Vermont?

Somebody who needs very expensive treatment would have a powerful incentive to move to Vermont. That would completely throw off the risk calculations -- Vermont taxpayers would be providing medical care for many of the uninsured from other states.

Doing it at the federal level is the obvious solution. While that's not in the cards, it's great that people are trying to figure out what can be done, within the limitations imposed by right-wing ascendancy in Washington, but I'm not sure this is the right answer. It might end up with skyrocketing costs that would be unfairly extrapolated to showing the cost of a national single-payer system.

[eridani]

15. That could be prevented by a one year residency requirement

Also, people would need a source of income there for non-medical needs. The example of Saskatchewan in Canada is a real life example of success.

[glowing]

16. Perhaps those with children with serious illness, but I doubt people

in Texas, diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer are going to move to VT. AND a lot of people with children that have special needs already do move to VT.. VT is very, very good to children. Almost every child qualifies for the KidCare. However, the parents moving to VT are providing into the tax structure.

I seriously doubt that everyone is going to up and move to VT.. About 5 yrs after VT enacts the single-payer system, other states will have to follow because people will be demanding the same from their elected leaders.

[RegieRocker]

18. They should do it and show the other states what for

[leftstreet]

19. K&R