Scott: Move Vermont healthcare policies back into the mainstream

Elected officials have a responsibility to judge public policy by its results — not by good intentions, political philosophy, or studies that inspired it.

Whether we're talking about housing, education, energy, taxes or healthcare, I ask my team the same question: Will this make life more affordable for everyday Vermonters?

Healthcare is no exception.

Today, Vermont families, workers and small businesses face some of the highest health insurance costs in America while having fewer affordable choices than people living in neighboring states.

That should concern all of us, regardless of what political party we align with.

Throughout my 25 years in public service, I've never served in the majority. That experience has taught me an important lesson: Vermont gets much better policy when no single political philosophy dominates the debate. Our best solutions come from testing ideas, challenging assumptions, and finding common ground. Unfortunately, for more than three decades, the Legislature pursued healthcare policies, culminating in Act 48 in 2011, which directed the state to design a taxpayer-funded, single-payer healthcare system. Although Governor Shumlin ultimately concluded that plan wasn't financially viable, millions of taxpayer dollars were spent pursuing it, and much of the regulatory framework created during that period remains in place today, despite my repeated requests to bring our healthcare policy back into the mainstream.

That's why I've issued an executive order directing state agencies to use every executive authority available to expand affordable health insurance choices, reduce costs, and prepare additional reforms for next year's legislative session.

We need to do this now because many young adults and working families choose to go without coverage due to costs rising faster than family budgets. Small businesses struggle to offer competitive benefits and hospitals face growing financial pressure.

Fortunately, Vermont doesn't have to "reinvent the wheel." Neighboring states — and most states across the country — have already proven it's possible to maintain strong consumer protection while giving families and employers more affordable insurance choices.

Those ideas aren't radical. They're mainstream. And they work.

That's why our initiative focuses on approaches like federal innovation waivers, modernizing outdated insurance regulations, expanding affordable options for small employers, and creating a healthier insurance marketplace. In Maine, for example, they combined reinsurance with insurance modernization and reversed what had become a downward spiral of rising premiums and declining participation. There are many other examples to learn from as well. I've always believed every Vermonter deserves access to quality healthcare. The question isn't whether we share that goal … It's how we achieve it.

If current policies leave Vermonters paying more than friends and family in every neighboring state — and they most certainly do — then we owe it to them to put Vermont on a more mainstream path. My executive order is only the beginning. It's important to realize that modernizing Vermont's healthcare system requires legislative action. That means Vermonters will need to elect legislators willing to evaluate policies based on today's realities rather than yesterday's assumptions.

When public systems stop producing affordable outcomes, government has a responsibility to modernize them. This isn't ideological. It's practical, and I'm an unabashed pragmatist.

More affordable choices, lower costs, a stronger economy, and a Vermont where more young people can afford to build a career, raise a family, start a business, grow old — That's the future we desperately need, and one we can achieve if we work together.

For nearly a decade, I've made affordability the central focus of this administration. We've made some progress, particularly when we've had legislative partners willing to embrace practical reform. But we've also reached the limits of what a governor can accomplish alone. If Vermonters want to modernize our healthcare system — and make similar progress on housing, education, energy and affordability more broadly — we will need a Legislature that shares those priorities.

Vermonters are practical, independent people. We understand we cannot expect different results if we don't change our approach.

I believe the people of our state are ready to bring Vermont policies — and its Legislature — back toward the middle of the road. This is how we build a stronger, healthier and more resilient future together.

Phil Scott is the governor of Vermont.