We Asked You Answered:
Thoughts on Our 
Broken Health Care System

Dear Fellow Vermonter,

Recently, we sent out a Bernie Buzz asking Vermonters for their thoughts on the state of our health care system. Frankly, the responses we received were striking, heartbreaking and a bit overwhelming. 
 
Not only did we get over 1,000 replies — far more than we expected — but almost every single one of you said our current health care system is broken. The overwhelming majority also believe we need a Medicare for All, single payer system where health care is treated as a human right, not a privilege. 

Here are some of the specific findings from our respondents:

• 96 percent believe our current health care system is broken
• 76 percent believe we need a Medicare for All, single payer system where health care is a human right, funded through taxes
• 88 percent do not think it is a good idea to send veterans to private sector providers for all of their care
• 95 percent believe that Medicare should cover dental, vision and hearing

We also received many hundreds of stories from Vermonters telling us their firsthand experiences with the health care system. I am including a sampling of the responses we received below with the permission of the writers.

The message I received from this survey was clear: Vermonters are frustrated with a health care system that is designed to make huge profits for the insurance and drug industries while denying people the care they need. They want – and I believe we all deserve – a health care system that provides quality care for all and is designed to keep us healthy.

There is something very wrong when the United States, the wealthiest country on earth, is the only major nation not to guarantee health care for all. With your support I will continue to fight for a Medicare for All, single payer health care system that guarantees comprehensive health care as a human right.

Sincerely,

Do you think our current health care system in this country is broken? Yes/No. Why?

Middlebury, VT
Yes. The health insurance system is broken. Costs of premiums in VT have tripled in the past 5 years and we have less access than before. Vermont's population is uninsurable under the current method of private insurance.

Susan, Hinesburg, VT
Yes. I am lucky because I have Medicare and don’t have a lot of problems, but my daughter is worried that Trump might gut Obamacare, and her costs may go up. I also have seen UVM Medical Center having problems and costs going up and health insurance companies pulling out of Vermont. My other daughter lives in Spain and has government funded health care. I think Spain has one of the best systems as far as healthcare outcomes. Their taxes are higher, but their expenses are lower.

Elizabeth, Brandon, VT
Yes. Outrageous expense, long wait times for specialists, insurance providers managing our healthcare, doctors who over prescribe medication, so little focus on self care and healthy habits! My husband recently went through treatment for Lyme Disease that was not covered by insurance. $40,000 from our retirement fund and we had to discontinue treatment since it was no longer financially possible. His health has now deteriorated to the point that he may have to close his business.

Morrisville, VT
Yes. The inability to afford insurance is that is affordable is astronomical. The income levels that determine who is eligible for affordable healthcare are outdated in this economy. Those who need healthcare are unable to obtain it for less than the amount of a car payment if they are over an outdated income level. I personally had to cancel my insurance and now have to pay out of pocket because I make "too much money" and the lowest option with increases this year was $427 and a $6000 deductible. It is NOT affordable. My work does offer insurance, and I cannot afford that either as it is only slightly lower.

Anne, Essex Junction, VT
Yes. We are not a HEALTH care system - we are a SICK care system. We focus on fixing problems that we could prevent if we focused on maintaining the health and wellness of our people. As a cancer nurse of more than 40 years, the advances we have made are incredible - but it would be far better to avoid these life-threatening diagnoses rather than have to have the financial and quality of life burden that is imposed upon our patients and their families.

Mary, Burlington, VT
Yes. My family enjoys the privilege of health insurance; and have seen the price of services and medications for my husband's cancer treatment. We discovered one pill markets for $76 - a medication for which the R&D was complete on it 50 years ago. We were the lucky ones; able to enjoy its benefits, but others with the same condition and less insurance coverage are denied the same treatment. Of course, the results mean the difference between survival and death. One infusion, more than $8,000? (and needed monthly). We live in fear that insurance may not cover his most recent hospitalization and care. Others cannot benefit from the advancement in treatment, because their insurance won't cover it. We absolutely need to do better. And for the record, I am delaying retirement for the sole reason of retaining health insurance through my employer. I am too afraid that we won't be able to afford healthcare if we are both retired.

Tracylea, Tinmouth, VT
Yes. There are insufficient numbers of doctors, and if I had to make my medical decisions based on what the healthcare conglomerates decided, I would probably quit practicing. In order to navigate these healthcare giants, you have to have some medical knowledge, as a consumer. I will give you an example. A few years ago, I had a Pickleball injury, and I heard a snap in my knee. A quick visit to the ER proved I did not break anything, but it took me Nearly 2 months to get an MRI. They wanted me to go for physical therapy for six weeks. I agreed, but I said first they had to tell me what I was going to tell the physical therapist I had done. When they had no answer, they finally agreed to the MRI. I suffered for two months needlessly before the surgical repair because of this. Had I not known that soft tissue injuries can only be seen with an MRI I would likely still be limping around. This is just one example. With enough time I could probably write a Novella.

If you are a veteran, what do you think of the VA health care system?

Dennis, Milton, VT
The current VA and Tricare options I have that allow me to mix use of VA and Civilian care options is great. I however depend heavily on these services and how they are delivered. We must continue to fund the VA and ensure programs like Tricare remain viable. Many retirees such as I depend on these programs. Despite the many criticisms the VA receives by various political leaders, and many military members, I need to say I think the Vermont VA does a great job. They communicate well and have great outreach which has served me VERY well.

Russell, Burlington, VT
I have received very good healthcare under the VA. The frontline employees (docs, nurses, techs, etc.) have been great. The VA can be an administrative black hole at times. Also introducing Optima into the middle of things has made things much much worse. I lost my dentist when Optima was brought in some years ago as they started cutting reimbursements, my dentist told me he already lost money serving Vets but he did it anyways, but Optima's cuts were too much for him.

Philip, Stowe, VT
While theoretically I qualify for care at the VA, I've always had my care through the military insurance system (Tricare) and its sponsored family health plan entities (which are well -run, generally--as good as it gets). From what I have heard, most patients who use the VA health system do like it. When I was on active duty as a medical corps officer in the 1980s/90s I of course received care at military facilities myself when I needed it, as did my children. The care was excellent. We may have had to wait a bit longer for care at times for non-emergent issues than in a concierge private practice, but the care was good, and the price was right. In fact, the military health care system (then) would be a great model for the country as a whole. Unfortunately, the lunacy has spread into the military health system now with the delusion that 'contracting it out' is better. They are starting to discover that is not true.

Mary, Swanton, VT
Disclaimer: my son is a disabled vet, had a terrible time with the VA. After many months of problems, finally contacted Bernie Sanders office, if not for them we would have been in deep trouble. We are small state VA so far away and not all doctors are interested in the hassle to get all the pre-approval done before the doctor visit. Vanessa Lang is who helped us, and she was wonderful, but has moved on now.

Rhonda, South Royalton, VT
My father was a veteran, and I was his main caretaker the last several years of his life. The VA system was literally life-saving for all of us. But I know we were very fortunate to be near a very small responsive VA Hospital and system in WRJ, VT. My father's care when he lived in Florida and had to deal with a huge, impersonal VA Hospital and system, was very different.

Some lawmakers want to privatize the VA and send veterans to private sector providers for all of their care. Do you think this is a good idea? Please explain.

Rick, Plainfield, VT
In VT, there are fewer and fewer private sector Dr's. From what I have read, this is becoming true all over this country as physicians join private practices whose sole goal is to make money.

Alice, Bristol, VT
Look at what is going on with Medicare Advantage. That's why we don't want VA healthcare to go private. It will eat away at taxpayer dollars and offer less care to veterans.

Northfield, VT
Every time something is privatized, oversight goes out the window, prices go up and services disintegrate.

Essex Junction, VT
Private sector for Veterans? No, terrible idea. So what- so Veterans can be denied coverage and made to wait like civilians? So nonmedical people can make policy which basically decides who lives, and who dies. For profit.

South Strafford, VT
We don’t have enough private providers and the VA does a good job.

Sukie, Topsham, VT
Privatization, as we have seen across the board, means poor quality and huge costs for most and huge profits for a few.

Georgia, Charlotte, VT
Why would we think the private sector would do anything better? I'm sure the costs would go up, and some organizations/individuals would find more ways to charge more

Richard, Shelburne , VT
The private sector is having increasing difficulty caring for the civilian population. Adding more patients into an already over-burdened system will not fix the problem. Improving the existing VA system could.

John, Athens, VT
The VA knows veterans and what we need. There is always someone available to help. Private sector providers may not have an interest in serving veterans if the government reimbursement is less than what they can receive from non-VA patients. I am biased because I have received terrific care from the VA and their excellent medical staff.

Marilyn, Fairfield, VT
I do think that Veterans should be able to go to other providers if VA services are not accessible. My late husband had to drive over 2 hours each way every week. As he happened to work nights it was an almost impossible schedule. However, I believe the VA is uniquely qualified to address the needs of Veterans and should remain as the primary option for care.

What other thoughts do you have about our current health care system?

Rick, Plainfield, VT
The current system is designed to give preference to the system, not the patient. My wife must drive 90 miles to get an injection. We have a hospital 9 miles away, but they won't do it because the physician is not one of theirs. This state is infamous for the lack of dental care available to the elderly. Go to The Wayside on Rte 302 and watch old folk with no teeth attempt to "gum" their food to swallow. This system is designed for profit, not care.

Brattleboro, VT
Medicare should be able to negotiate better prices for drugs. Get the corporations out of health care!

Kristen, Richmond, VT
As an EMS provider, I see the worst of what the system creates on a daily basis. People who cannot afford their medication and either do not take it at all or do not take it as prescribed. People who are so afraid of medical bills that they do not confront their own health care issues until it is too late. People who have been forced out of their homes due to medical bills. People who commit suicide because they cannot find a way forward in a country that does provide them with the care they need. People who are unable to access a PCP and use clinics, ERs, and 911 as their only avenue to healthcare. EMS isn't even an essential service in the state of VT, which means some people live in areas where it either doesn't exist at all, or takes an hour to show up.

Timothy, Thetford, VT
When visiting Oxford England last year I had a low-level cardiac issue. I called the national triage hot line. After being asked a number of questions they set up an appointment at the local hospital emergency department. I was seen within 5 minutes of the appointment time and given an ECG and had blood drawn. I was seen by a provider, and it was determined that I should go to the Ambulatory Assessment Unit for observation. I was not subjected to a long wait time in the ED and was not left on a stretcher in the hall. Why can't our health care system do this!!?

Danville, VT
I, along with many others, avoid going to a doctor if possible even when I could use some help as it is too expensive. I have health insurance through my employer but the deductible for the plan I can afford is over 2 months of my salary, which I cannot afford. I will never meet the deductible. My health is generally good, but as I age various things arise. It is financially prohibitive for me to receive some of the recommended interventions that would make my quality of life better.

Susanna, West Glover, VT
Rural areas need mobile health clinics -- even one day a week, every week, within 20-minute drive here in northern VT we drive 50/60 miles round trip to see primary care and twice that to see a specialist. Many countries have "Health Mobiles" and "Family Planning Mobiles" to deliver service to those without transportation (Also like Northern VT).

Bellows Falls, VT
You Senator Sanders advocated for FQHC's to fill the need in rural underserved populations, to ensure that the underserved in our state had local access to healthcare. You state that you believe "healthcare is a human right" I completely agree with you. Please explain how it is OK with you our elected official and self-proclaimed advocate for the people, to allow an existing FQHC clinic in the Town of Rockingham to close? Twenty plus years of primary care, pediatric care and behavioral health services gone .... or as NorthStar Health likes to spin it "consolidated ". The publicly stated reason, by NorthStar, for this consolidation (closure) was that Rockingham was the costliest clinic to operate. Well, compared to their other locations we have one of the higher percentages of below poverty level populations, so wouldn't that track it would cost more to serve this population, but isn't providing healthcare to the below poverty level population what FQHC's are supposed to do? Does Londonderry and Ludlow and Charlestown NH have that same percentage of poverty level population? How is the Edgar May Health Center serving the health of the underserved? This situation in my opinion goes to the heart of what is wrong with our healthcare system. We are creating an even bigger disparity of haves and have nots.