Legislature Report
For the Week Ending January 15, 2010
A Tuesday evening health care hearing attended by an estimated 200 mostly single-payer activists and an end-of-the week revelation that key information given to state officials by Vermont Yankee executives was incorrect highlighted activity at the State House last week.
Members of the Senate Health and Welfare and House Health Care Committees listened for hours into the night Tuesday from a long list of witnesses, most of whom urged the committee to pass legislation guaranteeing health care to all Vermonters. Both committees also met jointly each afternoon last week to learn about provisions contained in several legislative proposals to impose more government control over the state’s health care system, including global hospital budgets, government financing, and other comprehensive changes to the existing health care system. Legislative leaders have said they don’t believe the legislature can act on these far-reaching proposals this year; single-payer advocates think otherwise and are aggressively pushing the proposals in hopes of enlisting enough rank and file members and force a vote.
Both health care committees plan to continue joint afternoon hearings on these bills for the next two weeks as they bide their time until Congress produces an agreement on federal reform. The House Health Care Committee is then expected to turn its attention to developing a plan to respond to any new requirements included in federal legislation.
The Governor’s annual budget address on Tuesday promises to attract a lot of attention this week, as he is expected to present the legislature with an FY2011 budget that contains specific recommendations to achieve a balanced budget. The administration was criticized last year for stepping away from the process and leaving key budget reduction decisions to the legislature. Several House and Senate policy committees met throughout last week for briefings from a legislative consultant on a report recommending ways to achieve up to $38 million is savings from reorganization and efficiencies, particularly in programs administered by the agency of human services.
New Bills of Interest
H.491 Introduced by Representative Davis of Washington and others
This bill proposes to create a single-payer health care system in Vermont to promote health, to prevent chronic health conditions, and to contain costs.
H.510 Introduced by Representative Poirier of Barre City and others
This bill proposes to establish a public health care option called Green Mountain Care with sliding-scale premiums and cost-sharing that would be available to all Vermont residents and would be funded in part by a payroll tax. The bill would focus on cost containment by implementing a global hospital budget. The bill would require all Vermonters to have health care coverage or pay a penalty. It would require insurers to allow parents to cover adult children up to age 27 and the bill would eliminate pre-existing conditions.
H.512 Introduced by Representative McFaun of Barre Town
This bill would provide access to and coverage for health services provided in hospitals, build on Catamount Health, and offer opportunities for premium relief to all Vermonters. The bill would establish global hospital budgets, require insurers to disclose to BISHCA the rates they negotiate with providers and direct BISHCA to post that information on its website.
H.529 Introduced by Representative Partridge of Windham and Lippert of Hinesburg
This bill proposes to require health insurers to cover inpatient care for at least 48 hours following a mastectomy.
H.530 Introduced by Representatives Obuchowski of Rockingham and Wilson of Manchester
This bill proposes to allow parents to keep their young adult children on their health insurance until the child reaches age 27.
If you are interested in this week’s Legislative Committee Meeting schedules, agendas, and a listing of other meetings and activities, please visit the Vermont Legislature’s website at http://www.leg.state.vt.us/schedule/schedule2.cfm
Committee meetings are normally updated daily, and are subject to change without notice. If you plan on attending, you may want to call ahead to verify the agenda.
For more information on legislative proposals, visit the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of