(Host) A Montpelier physician is making health care the centerpiece of his campaign for lieutenant governor.
Doctor Marvin Malek is running on the Progressive ticket.
He says that last year the Legislature failed to deliver on its promise to reform health care. Malek calls the Catamount Health program a stop- gap solution. He says it has an uncertain funding source and won’t tackle the big problem of administrative waste.
(Malek) “It looked to me, analyzing it in retrospect, that they just wanted to come up with some piece of legislation, and then say that we have health reform, and call it a day, and wash their hands and say, ‘hey voters, we have health reform.'”
(Host) Malek says he supports universal access to health care by reducing waste in the health care system and by increasing other sources of funding.
(Malek) “We have health insurance that almost guarantees you that if you get sick, you’re going to lose a lot of money. And if you don’t start out with a lot of money, you will likely become destitute. Half the bankruptcies in this country are due to medical costs.”
(Host) Malek faces incumbent Republican Brian Dubie and the winner of a Democratic primary between state Senator Matt Dunne and Representative John Tracy, who helped craft the health reform bill.