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VT Governor Signs Health “Exchange” Bill

Governor Peter Shumlin has signed into law the next step in a multi-year effort to revamp Vermont’s health care system and make it more like Canada’s.  WAMC’s North Country Bureau Chief Pat Bradley reports…

The bill Shumlin signed on Wednesday calls for setting up a regulated health care marketplace — or "exchange" — in keeping with the federal health reform law passed two years ago.

The Governor says it helps the state as it tries to move to a single payer system…

“We think it’s going to drawdown about $400 million in federal money to help struggling businesses and struggling Vermonters pay for the rising cost of health insurance.  So we really see it as an economic resource for us to continue to try and move toward universal access.”     

Vermont plans to use the exchange as a springboard to launch a single-payer health insurance program by 2017.

I’m Pat Bradley, WAMC News.