Yesterday the Obama Administration announced that they would not require large businesses to provide health insurance to their employees until 2015. VPIRG Consumer Protection Advocate Falko Schilling commented on the decision saying “Yesterday’s announcement from Washington, D.C. has little effect on the options Vermonters will have for purchasing health insurance next year, or the progress Vermont is making toward a quality, universal health care system. Starting this fall, Vermonters without employer-provided insurance will have the chance to select their own plans through Vermont Health Connect and will receive financial assistance if they need it.”
“Opponents of health care reform are sure to use this announcement to cast doubt on our ability to fix a broken system, but it’s the status quo that costs too much. We can’t afford to do nothing and watch as Vermont’s health care costs leap to the estimated ten billion dollars by 2020. That’s why VPIRG supports Vermont’s goal of a fair, affordable and transparent system where everyone pays in and everyone benefits.”
The announcement by the Obama administration is likely to have little impact on Vermont’s health insurance Exchange because there are only a handful of large employers in Vermont, and the majority of them already offer their employees health coverage.