Is this really gonna go down? I live in Pennsylvania and I'm kind of sick of my job. Since most employers have a 3-6 month waiting period before you can join their group plan, I feel kind of stuck. I know there are supplemental plans and whatnot, but they're not exactly economical.
Anyway, I think its really great what you guys have going for you. It seems like a very easy going state where yinz take care of one another.
WASHINGTON -- Vermont officials are beginning what promises to be a provocative push for a statewide single-payer health insurance system that would take the place of President Barack Obama's signature health care law, the state's lone congressman said Wednesday.
Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) said that his state's local and national lawmakers were "looking to get a waiver" so as to formally opt out of the federal system. Conversations have begun as to how an alternate health care policy might look like should the waiver be granted, Welch said.
"Vermont is very supportive of moving towards single-payer, you have the entire congressional delegation you have the governor who ran on the platform of single-payer and the legislature is very sympathetic to single-payer," he said.
According to Welch, the state's governor, Democrat Peter Shumlin, was receiving a report on Wednesday from one of the architects of Taiwan's single-payer system, which would help inform a proposal tailored for Vermont.
Under the current law, however, Vermont would have to wait until 2017 to get the waiver that would allow the state to set up its own system.
"It doesn't make sense to have it be 2017 because by then the federal law has gone into effect," Welch said. "You are setting up the exchanges and what you end up doing is having states that want to innovate -- in our case single-payer -- have to unwind what we put in place."
Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Scott Brown (R-Mass.) have introduced legislation to move the opt-out date up to 2014 -- an amendment that both Welch and, it appears, House Democratic leaders support.
I'm delighted to hear this. It goes to show that some people are indeed not devisive, and wish to include everyone. Makes me want to move out of my devisive state! Well, I hope it goes through!
I'm delighted to hear this. It goes to show that some people are indeed not devisive, and wish to include everyone. Makes me want to move out of my devisive state! Well, I hope it goes through!
If it does..... it will allow a lot of people a lillt breathing room.
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