Offical Response from Vermont for Single Payer on Governor Shumlin’s announcement not to put forth a financing plan for Green Mountain Care and to delay the transition to a single payer health care system in Vermont
This week’s announcement by Governor Shumlin not to proceed with Act 48 as outlined was a major disappointment to Vermonters.
To be clear, Gov. Shumlin never said, “Single Payer is Dead.” That was a headline produced by the media. While it is true the path we were on (to legislative consideration of a financing proposal in 2015) has changed, the Governor stated that he would be open to new proposals to get to publicly financed health care for all in stages.
We are currently working to find the best options and will keep you posted of our ideas and specific ways you can help.
Our current political climate has been fed by a very aggressive and sophisticated fear campaign against single payer, by insurance companies and their quiet armies of lobbyists working behind the scenes to sow fear and dissension, by big businesses who voiced strident opposition, by the hospitals who hate the idea of public financing, and by an American culture of greed and every person for him or herself, and who cares if someone dies or loses their house or their life savings. We believe that Vermont is still the place where we can overcome this, see through the manipulation, and in the end refuse to let our fellow Vermonters suffer.
So much work has gone into health care reform in Vermont over the last 20+ years and we have a lot of positive pieces to build on.
Many Senators and Representatives are solidly on our side and want to find a way to keep moving strongly toward a system that is fairly financed and includes every Vermonter.
Numerous studies that all show a single payer system is the only way to provide health care to all while slowing the exponential growth in costs.
A strong and motivated network of activists ready to continue this work. PLEASE call or write your legislator before the session starts in January. Build a personal relationship with him/her and urge them to work toward true progress on the goal of publically financed health care for all Vermonters. These relationships are hugely influential when introducing new legislation.
So while our path has changed we will not give up. We are determined to find opportunities to continue to move Vermont toward single payer a publicly financed health care system for all. We encourage you to stay positive and stay tuned for specific action requests in early 2015.