Joint Fiscal Committee approves selection of Dr. Hsaio!
Tuesday morning, the Joint Fiscal Committee accepted the recommendation of the Health Care Reform Commission and voted unanimously to hire Dr. Hsaio to be the consultant to design,as called for in Act 128, at least three options, including implementation plans, for creating a single system of health care which ensures all Vermonters have access to and coverage for affordable, quality health services through a public or private single-payer or multipayer system".
All design options must meet the principles of the Healthcare is a Human Right Campaign
One option must be "a government-administered and publicly financed "single-payer" health benefits system decoupled from employment."
A second option must be "a public health benefit option administered by state government which allows individuals to choose between the public option and private insurance coverage."
The third and any additional options shall "be designed by the consultant, in consultation with the commission"...
A contract with the consultant will be signed by July 15th and the work will begin. The Health Care Reform Commission will serve as a resource for the consultant and will receive periodic progress reports .
Our job, as the Healthcare is a Human Right Campaign, is to see that the design process is transparent and participatory. We encourage your participation in this effort. It is a historical moment in the struggle to get Health Care as a Human Right in Vermont.
We do not have the money that our adversaries have but we will win if we continue to believe in our power and solidarity. Please get active and join our Campaign
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I was there too when the
I was there too when the joint fiscal committee accepted the recommendation of the health care reform commission. I sat next to Robin Lunge, legislative counsel, who has been through the various twists and turns of S.88 along with us since we began this journey back in January. At one point during the proceedings when the various legislators were singing praises for Dr. Hsiao, I leaned over to Robin and asked her if she thought we would ever get this far.
"No," she said. "Not at all. It's amazing.
"We're at the doorstep of history," I next said.
Robin nodded and replied that we were, indeed, at the front door. It should be remembered that while we still have much fighting to do to get health care as a human right in Vermont we have come a long ways against much longer odds, farther than anyone thought possible when I joined the campaign in December of 08 or even when the campaign was launched. As Peg said, "we will win if we continue to believe in our power and solidarity." It's the only way; it has got us farther than anyone thought possible, something that legislators and various other politicos have told me. We are the first in the nation to do this.