Phil Scott Calls for Additional Public Presentations,
More Transparency on Proposed ‘All-Payer Model’
Says Southern Vermont Must be Included in Public Meeting Schedule
Montpelier, Vt. – Phil Scott today said the Shumlin Administration and Green Mountain Care Board should at least double the number of public presentations on the “all-payer model” and called for at least two hearings in southern Vermont.
Scott said there are far too few opportunities for the people of Vermont to learn about the proposal and that it’s disrespectful to exclude southern Vermont from the hearings. The Green Mountain Care Board originally scheduled three public meetings outside of Montpelier, and recently added two meetings in Montpelier. Scott says that’s neither enough, nor are the hearing times and locations convenient for working families and healthcare providers.
“Vermonters deserve to have a detailed discussion about this before we move forward. We simply cannot afford any more expensive and unsuccessful healthcare experiments. I think it’s premature for the Shumlin Administration to lock Vermonters into an agreement, without first explaining how, exactly, it is going to work and what, if any, savings Vermonters can expect to see in the cost of care and in their insurance premiums,” Scott said. “I also think it’s disrespectful to voters in southern Vermont to announce just three public meetings outside of Montpelier, none of which are in the southern part of our state. And, let’s be honest, meetings during the middle of the day in Montpelier are only convenient for the lobbyists and special interest groups. The people of Vermont have a right to engage in a real public discussion on this issue, which is complex and very important to our economic future. The apparent attempt to rush it through in the waning weeks of the Shumlin Administration is only making people more skeptical of the idea. The Board needs to do this right and that means having a thorough public discussion where all the details can be discussed.”
Scott said state leaders need to focus more on explaining how the model would make healthcare more affordable for patients, rather than the “usual talking points” addressing why reform is necessary.
“We all agree that we need to make healthcare more affordable and accessible for every Vermonter, but we need to focus more on the ‘how’ than we do the ‘why,’” Scott added. “We all know why we need to get healthcare reform back on track – it costs too much, plain and simple. I believe the people leading this charge need to explain the model, and explain the math, in clear language to the people of Vermont – and give Vermonters more opportunities to react to the details – before devoting the state’s limited resources or locking us into another experiment.”
###