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Yesterday, Vermonters were privileged to hear testimony from Dr William Hsiao – professor of Economics from Harvard. I invited Dr Hsiao to testify before the joint Health committees because of his vast experience designing successful health care systems throughout the world. Taiwan was his most acclaimed. In 1995, 45% of Taiwan’s population was uninsured. Dr Hsiao designed a single payer system and within one year the rate of uninsured dropped to only 5%. It is currently at 1%.
The remarkable thing is that while coverage was expanded dramatically, costs dropped 8%! Vermont’s ailing health care system also needs to be redesigned. The best way to make progress is to have Dr. Hsiao help us design a universal health care system. Dr Hsiao pointed out that not only could a universal health care system cut costs immediately but could slow the growth of health care costs.
Vermont has spent years trying to fix this problem with well intentioned experts who theorize about solutions. Dr Hsiao has actually gotten the job done. It is time to move beyond studies and theories. It is time to design and implement a system that ensures all Vermonters have access to affordable and quality health care.
we have to move forward in Vermont with an effort toward a single-payer system. We have made a three-headed monster out of the health insurance industry by allowing it to parasitically grow into such a significant player in our economy. The size of the sector is NOT a reason to preserve it. Quite the opposite; if we are to do both the humane thing and the most economically sound thing for our long-term prosperity, the private health “insurance” industry must be slowly and systmatically allowed to die.
Agree Sue: The private insurance industry must be removed as the basis of our health insurance system. “Allowed to die.” All single-payer nations have a private insurance system, but not as the basic way of providing care. I hope that Senator Shumlin, along with Racine, can convince Hsiao to come to vermont and design a health care system that actually saves the lives of people without having to fear bankruptcy or decades of debt for one illness. Let’s hope.