NoMidnight5366 t1_jaxrzg6 wrote on March 4, 2023 at 10:01 PM

Great. So how do you pay for it?

you_give_me_coupon t1_jayyrsh wrote on March 5, 2023 at 3:46 AM

Insuring just legislators would probably be "expensive". Enacting Medicare for All nationally would save $300 billion a year. When Shumlin killed single-payer here, the report he commissioned showed that even in the worst case projections, the overwhelming majority of Vermonters would have come out ahead, something like paying $4 in taxes to save $5 in premiums. The case is even better now that for-profit health care costs have grown exponentially in the 10 years since then.

So the answer is - easily! Keeping the status quo is the fiscally irresponsible choice.

HappilyhiketheHump t1_jaz28t1 wrote on March 5, 2023 at 4:18 AM

Except most of vermont healthcare is not for profit, including out major insurers blue cross and MVP. If you have a link to Shumlins study, I’d like to see it. I don’t remember the numbers working the way you do.

Aperron t1_jb0l5x1 wrote on March 5, 2023 at 2:53 PM

It’s been many years since I looked at the numbers for the system that was proposed, but my hazy recollection was that they were going to need something close to a 10% payroll tax, plus a bunch of other budgetary funds from other sources and even then it was only feasible to provide coverage that was equivalent to the 80% AV “gold” plans being offered on the health insurance exchange. Meaning people were still going to be on the hook for 20% of the cost of their care until a pretty high deductible was reached.

People at the time were mistakenly assuming it would be like the NHS in the UK or something and be an all you can eat, completely free buffet of healthcare. For many the payroll tax would have been more than what their contribution for employer sponsored benefits were, for slightly worse coverage.

HappilyhiketheHump t1_jb0s6dn wrote on March 5, 2023 at 3:46 PM

This is a pretty good review of VT’s single payer attempt. https://www.vox.com/2014/12/22/7427117/single-payer-vermont-shumlin

Aperron t1_jb0uop2 wrote on March 5, 2023 at 4:04 PM

How could I have forgotten about Gruber and all that controversy. Looks like my memory of the financial aspects was charitably optimistic and the reality was even worse.

you_give_me_coupon t1_jb1p554 wrote on March 5, 2023 at 7:31 PM

I was using "for profit" as shorthand for the status quo private system. As for the report, I'm on my phone now, but it's ready enough to Google: I'm taking about the report Shumlin waved in his hand when he announced he was killing universal healthcare.