Government-Run Health Care Schemes Don’t Look Promising A series of political and logistical setbacks for the advocates of taxpayer-funded, government-run health care are giving proponents of alternative, common sense solutions a good opportunity to voice our concerns. By speaking up now we can have a powerful impact on the debate and move reform forward in a positive direction. The Governor’s Health Care Forums

Governor to Host Health Care Forums

Governor to Host Health Care Forums

Dear Congressman Sanders: I am sure you are aware of the pain high health insurance costs are creating for too many Vermonters. Today, for example, the average Vermont family of four must pay $771 for a policy with a $2,000 deductible, 20% co-insurance – a price too many hard- working Vermonters cannot bear. However, if allowed to purchase heath insurance outside Vermont, that same family could buy the same policy for as little as $172 per month out of Kansas City, Missouri.

Vermonters could enjoy as much as a 60% reduction in health insurance premiums if Congress passes the “Health care Choice Act,” now awaiting floor action in the House. Today, an average Vermont family of four must pay $771 for a policy with a $2,000 deductible, 20% co-insurance. However, if allowed to purchase insurance outside Vermont, that same family could buy the same policy for as little as $172 per month out of Kansas City, Missouri.

Yesterday, thanks to the efforts of House Policy Committee Chairman John Shadegg (R-Ariz.), the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved the "Health Care Choice Act," which is a first step towards lowering health care costs and helping increase the number of insured Americans.

This article originally appeared in the Roanoke Times on June 26, 2005 America's health care system is sick, and needs help. Health insurance premiums continue to grow at double-digit rates each year. Prescriptions are too expensive for too many people. There is little choice of insurance providers. Lawsuit abuse drives up costs and drives doctors out of practice, leaving the sick in some parts of the country with no one to treat them. And millions of Americans are uninsured.

Health Care.

Senate Health Care Bill Comes to the Floor. Senate Health and Welfare and Finance Committees have amended H.524 to be considered by the full Senate Tuesday, May 17th. The legislature has voted to extend their session to debate this bill, at a cost of $800,000 to the Vermont Taxpayer, which forces one to consider an interesting irony: These folks can’t even debate about health care without going over budget! And they expect us to believe they can control costs if we give them 3.5 billion dollars to run the entire system?