As Vermont transitions from a private insurance system to one that is publicly-financed and universal, it is critical that the daily concerns of our families and small businesses are not swept under the rug. This is a real danger and we need your help to stop it from happening.
Decisions about the cost of insurance and breadth and depth of coverage should no longer be made by insurance company bureaucrats, behind closed doors. It’s time to transform Vermont’s method for reviewing health insurance rates into an open, transparent, and public process.
Insurance companies all across the country are raising rates and blaming it on health care reform, while, in many cases, earning record profits. Vermont is not immune to this trend and many families will see their out-of-pocket costs increase this year.
Asking Vermont families and small businesses to swallow large increases in premiums and deductibles while we wait for a full health care system overhaul is simply unacceptable.
Although we are working tirelessly to pass a strong universal health care bill this year, we cannot forget that our neighbors need help now. Our new system must not only control costs and cover everyone; it must put patients, not profits, in the driver’s seat and give Vermonters a voice in the decision-making process.