(Continuing our practice of promoting diaries by statewide candidates to our front page, here is the latest from Doug Racine: – promoted by Sue Prent)
Yesterday, the House passed S.88 – the Healthy Vermont bill – but they changed it from the Senate version one more time. Although they retained the Senate changes to get the bill back to its original intent of hiring an expert to design three options for a health care system for Vermont, they put language the Senate had voted to remove back into the bill. This provision requries the reporting of drug sample gifts to doctors. Sometime soon (it’s hard to tell exactly when), the Senate will have a final up-or-down vote to accept the bill. If we vote yes, it will go to the governor’s desk. If we vote no, the bill is likely dead for this year.
I am working to get the bill passed in the Senate because we need this fundamental health care reform work done this year. The bill now calls for 3 designs for the governor and the legislature to look at next year – one is a single payer design, one is a public option design, and the third is left open, so the designers can look at different models and be creative.
We have taken out the requirement that the House wanted that said that each design must have “ACO’s” (accountable care organizations) or “Community Health Teams” – the bill now says the designer may consider these, but they are not required.
Last fall I made a promise to move Vermont forward on health care reform, and S.88 will do just that. Early next year, we will be looking at the design options and preparing to implement the best design for Vermont. I want one of my first acts as governor to be working to implement Vermont’s new health care system, so that all Vermonters will have affordable, quality health care whenever they need it, and we will be working to contain our costs so that we know we will be able to continue to provide health care to all Vermonters in the future.
I will be voting to support S.88, and I will be working to encourage my colleagues in the Senate to support it also.
Will you help? Many of you have worked for more than a year to build the momentum we needed to finally make progress on health care reform in Vermont. Now that we are so close, your action can make the difference. The vote will likely be close in the Senate. Please ask your Senators to support S.88.
-Doug Racine
http://dougracine.com/
You should probably veto S.88 if it goes with anything other than single payer. But for real, you’re by far the best dem candidate. And this comes from someone who has unreconcilable issues with both parties…and representative democracy in general. Get elected, do good.
I’ve heard how close this vote is going to be over the free samples thing. Please everyone, call or e-mail your senators tomorrow and urge them to get S.88 passed this year. From what I hear, the vote is a dead heat. A loss here tomorrow or whenever it is taken up is a win for Big Pharma. My friends tell me that’s what the argument is all about. Power to the people is what will give us all healthcare instead of the debauchery we have now.
They will not take this up until next work. Two more days to work the legislators as Big pharma is doing.