Visit the Series Homepage

Vital Signs: Vermont Charts A New Course For Health Care

Legislation backed by the governor and Democratic leaders puts Vermont on track to an eventual single payer health care system.  Other states have tried incremental changes to the way care is delivered and paid for, but none has attempted what is being tried in Vermont.

The stakes are high, and many questions have been raised about how such a system would be funded and whether it would be sustainable. The system would also need to contain soaring health care costs, which is a problem no state has successfully solved.

We talk with Republican state senator Randy Brock and Democratic representative Mark Larson, Chairman of the House Healthcare Committee.

And VPR's Nina Keck looks at the Veterans Administration system, which provides pointers about improved efficiency, team-oriented care, and how the public health care system can save money.