The article “With a flurry of legislation, Vermont lawmakers try to bring down health care costs” was interesting in how many disparate bills are taking a whack at the impossible. I am not criticizing the bills or the courageous efforts of our legislators in proffering them, except to reiterate what has been obvious all along to all concerned: you can’t cure chaos by continuing to apply band-aids.
Yet, I found it galling for the opposition of the status quo against one of these bills, H.766. This is the “provider burden bill.” It is trying to make it easier for doctors to provide actual care rather than battle perennial red tape, especially the insurance tactic of delaying or denying care known as “prior authorizations.” As one insurance representative put it to the House Health Care committee, “an insurer’s ability to sign off on treatments actually saves consumers money by cutting down unnecessary procedures.” Everyone knows that prior authorizations delay or deny care to enhance an insurer’s bottom line, and not a single dime has been saved because of them.
I hope that H.766 has a chance, though I am not too hopeful. I say this as one of those “consumers” (meaning a patient who needed healthcare) who nearly died because these prior authorizations kept blocking my healthcare. As everyone knows, the only solution that would actually bring down costs and cure the chaos is the universal health care system envisioned by our Act 48.
Walter Carpenter
Montpelier
