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Health Care For AllVPIRG believes all Vermonters deserve access to quality health care at a cost they can afford. Vermont is a national leader in health care. However, our current system is just the first step on the path towards quality, affordable health care. We've led the nation on health care reform before by creating programs like Dr. Dynasaur. Now it's time to continue that work by making health care affordable for all Vermonters. Vermont Gubernatorial Candidates Articulate Health Care Agendas
Symington, reaffirming her pledge to get Vermonters the “health care they need, when they need it, at a price they can afford,” claimed she would insist on a “full investigation” into why Vermonters are not enrolling in existing public programs. She also indicated that she would evaluate the health insurance mandate that has been underway in Massachusetts for roughly two years and consider the viability of such a plan in Vermont. Pollina, declaring that access to health care should “absolutely” be a right of citizenship, promised to scrap the current system entirely and establish the “Vermont Self-Insurance Plan,” a plan he claims will provide affordable health care for every Vermonter, regardless of health or employment status. The survey asked candidates Douglas, Symington and Pollina to discuss their top three health care reform priorities and to provide opinions on various state initiatives. After initially agreeing to participate, the Douglas campaign eventually refused to do so and failed to provide any explanation. “People deserve to know where the candidates stand on an issue as important as the future of health care in Vermont,” said Stefanie Sidortsova, a health care advocate at VPIRG. “In tough economic times where many Vermonters cannot even afford to go to the doctor, it is imperative that our elected leaders stand up and let us know what they will do to fix the problem. Unfortunately, the Governor has declined more than one opportunity to do so.” Earlier this fall, local advocacy groups and health care organizations planned a gubernatorial candidates’ debate focused solely on health care reform issues. The Governor declined to participate, despite numerous attempts on the part of advocates to work around his schedule. To read the candidates' responses to the survey, click here.
VPIRG Report: Catamount Health “96 Percent Goal” Currently Unattainable A new VPIRG report analyzing the state’s package of health care reform programs charges that while thousands of Vermonters have gained health coverage in recent months, the outlook is dim for the state to meet its goal of ensuring that at least 96 percent of Vermonters have health care coverage by 2010. VPIRG issued the report, which is the second in a series to examine the state’s rollout of Catamount Health and related programs in the Green Mountain Care line. According to VPIRG, although state officials deserve credit for their promotion of Catamount Health and other health benefits available to Vermonters, the state is not on track to reach the overarching goal touted by lawmakers and the administration when the Catamount Health legislation was passed in 2006. “Vermonters embraced an ambitious goal two years ago – to make certain that 96 percent of the state’s population has health care coverage by 2010,” said Stefanie Sidortsova, VPIRG’s health care advocate. “Catamount Health by itself will not reach that goal, nor will any of our other existing programs. Simply put, if 96 percent of Vermonters are going to have health insurance by 2010, we need to make some pretty big changes to the current landscape.” The scorecard highlights many of the outreach and enrollment efforts the Vermont Agency of Administration’s Health Care Reform office has undertaken to get Vermonters enrolled in state health care programs. Despite a significant effort, enrollment numbers in the Catamount Health plan have failed to hit projections. more... Read the full press release here.
Overview
With the passage of the Catamount Health Plan, Vermont now leads the nation in controlling the cost of health care. Catamount will lower the cost of health care for all Vermonters by covering our uninsured. But Catamount is only a first step. We must continue controlling the cost of health care by allowing those paying too much for Consider the following: With premiums ranging from $2,500 to $5,000 or more, part-time workers, the self-employed, farmers, and small businesses simply don't have the money to maintain coverage. VPIRG is Working to Reign in the Cost of Health CareVermont is a national leader in health care, but we haven't reached the finish line yet. Our current system is but one step on the path towards quality, affordable health care for all Vermonters. The expansion of Catamount to new groups such as farmers, small businesses, and self-employed will cut costs even further and help our economy grow. We've led the nation on health care reform before by creating programs like Dr. Dynasaur. Now it's tie to continue the work of making health care affordable for all Vermonters by: Drug Lobby: Profit over Research.One of the leading reasons health care costs are rising is the cost of prescription drugs. Vermonters pay a higher price per pill on average than the rest of the country. And the cost of prescriptions is rising at a rate three times faster than inflation.
Sadly, R&D is actually a much lower priority for drug companies than they suggest. The government funds a substantial portion of the research and development required to produce any given medicine. Furthermore, the pharmaceutical companies are averaging some of the greatest growth of any industry with profits sometime more than quadrupling in a single year. In fact recent evidence, brought to light by the former Editor-In-Chief of the New England Journal of Medicine, suggests that major drug companies spend twice as much on marketing and administration than they do on R&D.
Take Action Now!We all need to work together to make affordable health care for all a reality. Every voice counts and you can make a difference: Be part of the solution: Write a Letter to the Editor: Host or attend a local lobby meeting: Attend a lobby day at the Vermont State House: |
VPIRG leads efforts in Vermont for a new national health care campaign. 
too little health insurance the ability to buy into a better system at a fair price. 
Health care spending in Vermont totals more than $2.8 billion every year, or more than $4,500 per Vermonter. 
The pharmaceutical industry claims that its high prices are justified by the amount of money they spend in researching and developing new medications. However, that just doesn't make sense when Vermonters could easily cross the border and buy drugs at a cost three times cheaper than they are here in America.