Democratic Underground Latest Greatest Lobby Journals Search Options Help Login
Google

Ask me anything about the Vermont Health Care legislation.

Printer-friendly format Printer-friendly format
Printer-friendly format Email this thread to a friend
Printer-friendly format Bookmark this thread
This topic is archived.
Home » Discuss » General Discussion Donate to DU
 
cali Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri May-27-11 01:27 PM
Original message
Ask me anything about the Vermont Health Care legislation.
I just spent quite a bit of time with Annie Galloway-Kane who heads up vtdigger and who knows as much about about the legislation as anyone in the state. She's done extensive research and interviewing- everyone from Speaker Smith to the guv, to Hsiao, Steve Kimbell (who heads the Banking, Insurance and Health Care Administration.

I don't know even a fraction as much as Annie, but I think I can pass on some of her answers to my queries.

Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
bluerum Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri May-27-11 01:31 PM
Response to Original message
1. Who is eligible? What role will existing health ins. companies be expected
to take? When does it go national ;)
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
cali Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri May-27-11 01:41 PM
Response to Reply #1
2. vermont residents are eligible.
Initially, because of federal requirements there will be an exchange set up. eventually, all health insurance companies will be phased out. There will be no insurance to buy. Vermonters will all get a state health care card that they will present at point of care.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Hannah Bell Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-28-11 04:16 AM
Response to Reply #2
20. what's the residency requirement? if i move there tomorrow am i immediately eligible?
Edited on Sat May-28-11 04:18 AM by Hannah Bell
what if i move there indigent & needing some expensive treatment? or non-indigent & needing it, for that matter?
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
cali Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-28-11 04:30 AM
Response to Reply #20
22. I don't think any of that has been worked out
due to Federal law, this is all pretty far down the road. What they're working on now is to bring costs down by capping the hell out of how much hospitals can raise expenditures in a year. Vermont Health Care is dominated by Fletcher Allen which is not only a large hospital but has been buying out practice after practice. Every year, over the last few years, FA's expenditures have risen by hundreds of millions. In addition, both hospital rate increases and insurance rate increases are now being capped.

I do know that the legislature did vote down an amendment which would have prohibited undocumented worker residents from being part of the system.

I'll ask Annie about indigent care.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
NotThisTime Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri May-27-11 03:20 PM
Response to Original message
3. What if a Vermont resident has to seek treatment outside the State or Country?
Is this insurance going to be acceptable?
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
cali Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri May-27-11 06:24 PM
Response to Reply #3
12. outside of the state, yes. don't know about out of the country
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
sufrommich Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri May-27-11 03:23 PM
Response to Original message
4. How is it being paid for? nt
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
cali Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri May-27-11 06:27 PM
Response to Reply #4
13. that has not been decided. Here's what's being discussed:
tax on investments, such as NH has, junk food tax, payroll tax. Also savings. Vermont is capping (under legislation passed previously, how much hospitals can increase expenditures per annum at 4%)'
There are other planned savings as well, including such things as coding all procedures with the same code instead of many.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
sufrommich Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-28-11 11:00 AM
Response to Reply #13
32. I'm excited for Vermont. If it's successful, I see other states
moving in the same direction. Canada's health care program started in Saskatchewan and moved across the country.Hopefully it happens here too.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Name removed Donating Member (0 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri May-27-11 04:40 PM
Response to Original message
5. Deleted message
Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.
 
Name removed Donating Member (0 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri May-27-11 04:42 PM
Response to Original message
6. Deleted message
Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.
 
WonderGrunion Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri May-27-11 04:56 PM
Response to Original message
7. Under what structure would Vermont have been able to implement
this law without the frameworks set in place by President Obama's Affordable Care Act?
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
cali Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri May-27-11 06:27 PM
Response to Reply #7
14. Sorry, I don't know.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Chisox08 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri May-27-11 04:57 PM
Response to Original message
8. How soon can I move to Vermont?
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
cali Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri May-27-11 06:28 PM
Response to Reply #8
15. come on up, or over or whatever direction you're coming from.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
mmonk Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri May-27-11 04:59 PM
Response to Original message
9. What does it say in the third line?
Just kidding, thanks very much for this thread. I look forward to the questions and answers.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
mmonk Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri May-27-11 05:03 PM
Response to Original message
10. What restrictions will the private insurance be under?
Besides all the different money in the system already that will be used, what other funding mechanisms will be there, especially in regards to the self employed?
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
cali Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri May-27-11 06:31 PM
Response to Reply #10
16. the plan is to eventually phase out all private insurance
though a third party may be contracted to be the provider service agent. For instance, (and it's not an insurance co, HP serves in that function for Medicaid in VT)
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
mmonk Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-28-11 05:35 AM
Response to Reply #16
27. To collect and disburse? Then they will receive the government
funds as well?
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
cali Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-28-11 05:40 AM
Response to Reply #27
28. again, this is all to be worked out.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
wiggs Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri May-27-11 05:07 PM
Response to Original message
11. Do people still have the option of buying private insurance? Regardless of answer,
does this mean private insurance will be pulling up stakes and leaving or does it mean that private insurance will become much cheaper?

What do doctors in Vermont think about it?

Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
cali Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri May-27-11 06:34 PM
Response to Reply #11
17. Doctors in Vermont are divided over the plan, with, as I understand it, most
non-specialists supporting it and fewer specialists doing so. Yes, the plan is to eventually phase out private insurers, of which only 3 currently operate in the state: MVP, BC/BS of Vermont (one of the few still operating as a non-profit and not owned by Anthem) and Cigna. In addition, some companies like IBM, self-insure.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
cali Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-28-11 03:51 AM
Response to Original message
18. kick
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Vinca Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-28-11 04:13 AM
Response to Original message
19. As a person nearing Medicare age (who lives right across the border and would consider a move),
does the legislation include a provision to cover what Medicare doesn't for seniors?
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
cali Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-28-11 04:36 AM
Response to Reply #19
24. I don't know, but I'll ask
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Vinca Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-28-11 10:56 AM
Response to Reply #24
31. Thanks.
We love our house and the spot we live in across the river in NH, but we have to consider where we will be able to exist in our old age without going into medical bankruptcy.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Capitalocracy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-28-11 04:20 AM
Response to Original message
21. What are they doing to reduce the ridiculous cost of care?
Are they offering government infrastructure for providing health care or just paying out a private system at any rate private providers see fit to charge... or somewhere inbetween?
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
cali Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-28-11 04:35 AM
Response to Reply #21
23. Great question. That's the main focus of what's happening now
please see my answer upthread. In 2010 Act 128 was passed giving The Banking, Insurance and Health Care Commission (now under Steve Kimbell, who's a tough son of a bitch) broad authority over hospital expenditure increases, rate increases and insurance premium increases. The private system will be in place until 2014 at the earliest and even though the plan is to ultimately shed all private insurance, under Federal law, VT has to comply with the exchanges.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Capitalocracy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-28-11 04:44 AM
Response to Reply #23
25. But what I mean isn't the private insurance system, I mean actual care
like how much it costs to see a doctor, how much it costs to go to the emergency room, why you have to pay $50 for a $1 gauze bandage at a hospital, that sort of thing. Are there plans to do anything about that?
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
cali Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-28-11 04:50 AM
Response to Reply #25
26. yes, that's reallly part of what 128 does- by capping both expenditures
and rate increases.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
retread Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-28-11 05:43 AM
Response to Original message
29. Will prescription drugs be included? Any attempt to lower drug costs? n/t
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
cali Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-28-11 05:49 AM
Response to Reply #29
30. Yes, prescription drugs will be covered. Sorry, I don't know if or how
they'll lower drug costs.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
DU AdBot (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view 
this author's profile Click to add 
this author to your buddy list Click to add 
this author to your Ignore list Sat Dec 07th 2024, 03:00 PM
Response to Original message
Advertisements [?]
 Top

Home » Discuss » General Discussion Donate to DU

Powered by DCForum+ Version 1.1 Copyright 1997-2002 DCScripts.com
Software has been extensively modified by the DU administrators


Important Notices: By participating on this discussion board, visitors agree to abide by the rules outlined on our Rules page. Messages posted on the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums are the opinions of the individuals who post them, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Democratic Underground, LLC.

Home  |  Discussion Forums  |  Journals |  Store  |  Donate

About DU  |  Contact Us  |  Privacy Policy

Got a message for Democratic Underground? Click here to send us a message.

© 2001 - 2011 Democratic Underground, LLC