Now that the bill has passed both the House of Representatives and Senate, it will move to a conference committee to reconcile the two versions of the bill. It will then go to the desk of Gov. Peter Shumlin (D), who strongly supports the bill. Shumlin has said that it will make Vermont the first state where “health care will be a right and not a privilege.”
A bigger hurdle Vermont faces is obtaining a waiver from the federal health care reform act and finding a way around federal ERISA laws — which “pre-empt states from enacting legislation if it is ‘related to’ employee benefit plans” –- that insurers could use to sue the state. The health reform law currently offers a waiver to states who meet certain standards by 2017. Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) has introduced an amendment that would move the waiver date up to 2014 — an idea that President Obama has endorsed. ...Think Progress
That's like being the first state to get its high school diploma, leaving the other 49 still struggling with fractions and personal hygiene. Will we catch up now that we have a model?
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The irony is that the Fox effect -- deliberate disinformation -- appears to have worn off. Health reform didn't mean ending Medicare. It's Republicans who want to end Medicare. (Duh.)
Paul Ryan's town hall meetings were a political disaster for that member of Congress and his party.
The people in the crowd largely opposed the Ryan plan, holding signs such as “RyanCare = Dying Bare,” “Leave Medicare Alone” or simply, “Save Medicare!”
While Ryan spoke inside, the group rallied outside and ironically played Shania Twain’s “Ka-Ching,” which criticizes society’s obsession with money. As Ryan was leaving, they chanted, “Tax the rich, too!”
At four town hall meetings throughout Ryan’s district Tuesday, some constituents applauded him for his courage to tackle economic problems but others expressed concern about what the Medicare changes would do — to themselves or their grandchildren. ...Politico
