Vermont governor signs universal health care bill

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Vermont governor signs single-payer health law

Vermont Gov. Shumlin on Thursday signed into law a bill establishing a

single-payer health care plan for the state, making Vermont the first state to

do so.

Shumlin lauded the legislation as an " economic and fiscal imperative " -- as well

as a moral one.

" This law recognizes an economic and fiscal imperative - that we must control

the growth in health care costs that are putting families at economic risk and

making it harder for small employers to do business, " he said in a Thursday

statement. " We have a moral imperative to fix this problem, with 47,000

Vermonters uninsured and another 150,000 underinsured and worried about how to

afford keeping their families healthy. "

At least 150 people gathered on the steps of the Montpelier statehouse to view

and celebrate the signing of the bill.

Vermont lawmakers passed the legislation in March by a 92-49 margin. At the time

of its passage, Shumlin lauded the legislature for becoming " the first state in

the country to make the first substantive step to deliver a health care system

where health care will be a right and not a privilege. "

The legislation, when fully enacted, will guarantee every Vermont resident the

right to enroll in a state-sponsored insurance plan, Green Mountain Care.

The law is set to become operational in 2014. In the meantime, the legislation

establishes a five-member board that will develop the health care system and

ready it for implementation. The board will also be charged with figuring out

how to pay for the plan, and must submit an outline for doing so to the

legislature for approval by Jan. 15, 2013.

" I realize that people have legitimate questions about how a single payer will

be financed and operated, and we will answer those questions before the

legislature takes the next step, " Shumlin said on Thursday. " We'll be getting

input from all Vermonters moving forward, which is essential to the success of

this effort... But input from providers, businesses and health care consumers

will be especially important to assuring that our reforms are good for our

health care system and good for our economy. "

In order to implement the new law, Vermont will need to secure a waiver from the

Affordable Care Act, the federal health care overhaul Congress passed in March

of 2010. Under that law, states are not permitted to launch alternative plans

until 2017. However, in February, President Obama expressed his support for the

idea of moving that date up to 2014.

During the 2008 presidential campaign, Mr. Obama said he was open to the idea of

a single-payer health care plan. But that option was fiercly opposed by

Republicans and some Democrats in the contentious debate over last year's health

care overhaul, and the idea was ultimately abandoned -- to the disappointment of

liberals.

According to Bloomberg News, a recent governmental study in Vermont estimated

that nearly 50,000 Vermont residents lack health insurance entirely, while

150,000 have insufficient care.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20066495-503544.html