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Vermont Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Outlines Health Care Plan

File photo: VT Gov. Phil Scott
WAMC/Pat Bradley
Phil Scott

Vermont Republican gubernatorial candidate Phil Scott released his health care plan on Wednesday.  It’s an approach that fits his affordability policy strategy.
Phil Scott, the current Lieutenant Governor, is seeking to replace retiring Democratic Governor Peter Shumlin. Scott has been a critic of the current dysfunctional health care exchange.  As he released his health care plan, he said the system must be brought under control and made affordable.  He said it will take focus and discipline to get reform on track because underlying problems have not been addressed as costs rise faster than the ability to pay.  He says his administration will focus on affordable options.   "I will start by solving the problems with the Vermont Health Connect by moving to a different exchange option and give Vermonters more affordable insurance options.  Additionally health care reform under my administration will focus, but is not limited to, offering every Vermonter affordable health care choices. Fully implementing the law requiring price transparency in Vermont’s health care system.  Working with the Green Mountain Care Board to expedite a logical transition to a payment system that fairly compensates providers for treatment that emphasizes quality and outcomes, eliminating the legal necessity for providers to practice defensive medicine that increases costs on patients."

Republican candidate for Lieutenant Governor Randy Brock characterizes Scott’s plan as rational and evidence-based — something the state desperately needs.  "Today we continue to suffer from a thoroughly dysfunctional health care exchange. It must be replaced. We’re strangled by regulation and mandates that put red tape, not patients and provides, in charge. We are mired in political discussions about how to pay for health care when we need to be focused on how to reduce the cost of health care. But despite these challenges we know where to go and we have a roadmap to get us there. To control costs through accountability, competence, modernization and re-engineering and to focus on the goal: to make health care affordable and available to every Vermonter."

Scott faces Democrat Sue Minter in the general election.  She has not released a health care plan but has supported expansion of the state’s long-running Dr. Dynasaur plan that provides insurance coverage to youth. Multiple calls to Minter’s campaign were not returned in time for broadcast. In a debate broadcast August 22nd on Vermont PBS, she voiced support for the health care exchange despite ongoing problems.   "For health care reform what we need to do is deal with the rising cost of health care. And if we don’t address rising health care costs we will not have a sustainable economy.  So we need to look to changing our current payment system away from a fee-for-service and looking at incentivizing health and outcomes.  When we can reduce the cost of health care and get Vermont Health Connect to be fully functional I want to then focus on how we can then return to the discussion of universal access incrementally."

Minter issued a statement criticizing Scott’s plan, saying he had “failed to put forward any meaningful or viable plan to assure …access to quality and affordable health care.”
 

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