The May 27 Times Argus article on page one unfortunately adds to the confusion concerning the changes in health care for small businesses, various individuals, and families starting in 2014. The article mixes up “Green Mountain Care” with “Vermont Health Connect”. Green Mountain Care is Vermont’s single-payer health care plan. Vermont Health Connect is the state’s health benefit exchange plan of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and includes health insurance plans by Blue Cross and Blue Shield and MVP. They are in no way, shape, or form anything like Green Mountain Care.
Green Mountain Care is our publicly funded universal and unified health care single-payer plan which can’t become a reality until 2017, when Vermont receives the necessary federal waivers.
There is already enough confusion regarding the Vermont Health Connect exchanges in 2014 vs. Green Mountain Care in 2017 so it’s extremely important that the media doesn’t add to it.
JERRY KILCOURSE
Montpelier