It’s barely a year
old, but concern is growing that Vermont’s Catamount Health program of
subsidized medical insurance could fall victim to budget cuts.
It’s been a little more than
a year since Catamount Health began taking applications from uninsured
Vermonters. And fewer than 6,500 of the state’s 65,000
uninsured people have enrolled in the state-sponsored insurance program.
They
say that Vermont could become a laboratory for the federal government
as it tries to expand insurance coverage. But
others question if Vermont’s experience provides a relevant model for the rest
of the country.
Here are the top stories at 7:30 a.m.:
Health
care planners hope Vermonters are willing to answer questions in a poll this
fall. The
Division for Health Care Administration Health conducts an extensive survey
every few years.
A
stream in Northfield will soon run free for the first time in seven
decades…
Health
care planners hope Vermonters are willing to answer questions in a poll this
fall. The
Division for Health Care Administration Health conducts an extensive survey
every few years.
Governor Jim Douglas signed two health care bills into law yesterday. The
bills build on Catamount Health and the Blueprint for Health, a program that
focuses on illness prevention.
It looks like
moderate-income Vermonters on the state-backed Catamount Health program may be
facing higher monthly premium payments.
The Vermont House
had already passed a budget plan calling for an additional $2.5 million to be raised through higher premiums.
Advocates
say the state needs to do more to expand health care.
They’re
asking the Senate to revise a health care reform bill that’s already passed the
House.