Advocates Rally For Health Care

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(Host) Vermont lawmakers had barely taken their seats on Wednesday when more than 200 advocates for single-payer health care rallied at the Statehouse and then met with legislative leaders.

James Haslam is the Director of the Vermont Workers Center, which coordinates the ‘Healthcare is a Human Right’ campaign.

It advocates healthcare coverage that would be paid for by a single, publicly funded agency.

Haslam says the group wanted to send a message to legislators on the first day of the session.

(Haslam) "That the current system is not working, that we’re living in a healthcare crisis, and that it’s time for Vermont to lead the country by treating healthcare as public good for everyone."

(Host) Haslam says he’s optimistic about future progress, and that Vermont has come a long way in the past year.

(Haslam) "Some of the most well respected healthcare system designers in the world are figuring out how Vermont could transition from the mess we’re in, to a universal health care system that provides quality care for everyone, and actually ultimately will cost Vermonters a whole lot less, so we think that in this coming year we can make big strides."

(Host) Advocates for the homeless were also in Montpelier on Wednesday. They braved cold and snow to rally on the Statehouse steps for more funding for Vermont’s emergency shelters and for affordable housing.

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