Glick Report
« Should We Break Up the Fed?
Can the Government Really Run a Business? »

  • July 30, 2009 02:00 PM EDT by Alexis Glick

    Lessons From Vermont's Health Care Plan

    Until 5 a.m. this morning, I knew little to nothing about Vermont’s health-care system. I don’t know about you, but my head is spinning. It is hard to make heads or tails of all of the plans being discussed.

    Governor Jim Douglas of Vermont joined me this morning to tell us why Vermont’s health care system may provide a roadmap for reform in this country. See how the Governor overhauled their health care system with a tiered plan and a public-private health insurance program that made all constituents, all parties, come to the table on concessions. They even got a waiver from the federal government on changes to Medicaid pricing in order to change the system. They reformed the system with a tax on cigarettes (80 cents per pack) and a $365 dollar penalty for businesses that didn’t offer insurance. When they started the program in 2006, 10% of the population had no insurance. Today, 7.5% have no insurance.

    I learned a lot and in our ongoing discussion about all of the options, here is one state that is reinventing the system.

RSS Subscribe to Comments

JohnC

So, lets see pay $365 or more than $6000 per employee - hmmm this is a hard one..........

August 3, 2009 at 10:33 am

Rick

Keep in mind a 2.5% increase in the number of insured is small, also, the state of VT does not have as many illegals as other states. The 10 million illegals in this country getting health benefits represent a disproportionate amount of the medicaid paid out. Without that group costs for everyone would go down.

August 2, 2009 at 10:59 am

kenbrant

I think the governor has a great idea based on solving the problem. Washington is using the problem to achieve its own agenda. Look at your Cavuto,s analysis of Waxman,s plan. Do you really think he wants to solve the problem? Same help we got from the Social Security Plan. We put the money in Washington takes it out to play with the deficit and we have to pay it back again with government bonds.What happened to government by the people and for the people. We got government by Washington for Washington paid for by the people.

August 2, 2009 at 10:09 am

Eileen Levis

Alexis Vermont is not representative of the US. First the population is small and mostly rural and there is and has not been ANY major healthcrae system in that state. The quality of there healthcare cannot be compared to that of NY, CA, PA,MD or metropolitan areas with major teaching/research hospitals. So epopel with SERIOUS or rare conditions go to THESE places for care. At Medicaid rates, there would be an exodus of dcotors, researchers and anyone worth their salt out of healthcare!

July 30, 2009 at 3:32 pm

about this blog

  • Alexis Glick is an anchor for FOX Business Network. Prior to joining FOX, Glick served as a correspondent for the Today Show and co-anchored the third hour of that program. Before her stint at NBC News, she was the senior trading correspondent for CNBC and reported from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

most popular posts

browse posts