Community Gathers To Ask Legislature For Quality Affordable Health Care.

Last night nearly one hundred interested and passionate community members gathered at the State House to testify in front of a joint committee on Health Care to ask them to expand access to Catamount Health and give more Vermonters the opportunity to afford quality comprehensive health care.

The citizens who came to testify were passionate and committed to expanding access to quality and affordable health care. One of the most touching pieces of testimony came from a small business owner who was literally paying all of her profits, more than $11,000 last year, into health care. She spoke passionately about the need for a hand up not a hand out.

This “hand up” could be created by expanding Catamount Health to the more than 17,000 small businesses that employ nearly 60,000 Vermonters. Allowing small businesses to buy into Catamount at a fair rate would provide the economic stability needed to let these businesses flourish all while saving tax payers and businesses nearly 2.8 billion dollars over the next 10 years.

I must say, we are truly lucky to live in a state where the Legislature is so open and accessible to the people who put them there. Thank you to everyone who came out and spoke eloquently on the need to ensure all Vermonters have access to quality, affordable and comprehensive health care.

-- Sean Sarah