The Laboratories of Democracy Step Up

While Congressional repugs play stupid games with people's lives, the first state out of the gate with a real health care solution is Vermont:

Jon Walker at Firedoglake:

Dr. William Hsiao presented to the Vermont legislature a draft proposal for three different health care systems for the state. They include:

Option 1 – government-run single payer
Option 2 – public option
Option 3 – public/private single-payer

(You can find the full report, presentations, and the statement from Hsiao here at the Vermont Legislative Joint Fiscal Office.)

The purpose of all three designs is to expand coverage to all the residents of the state while controlling health care costs. All three options are designed to save more money and cover more uninsured than would happen under just the new federal health care law alone.

Read the whole thing.

Congressional rethuglicans are fighting the last war. While they try to hold the nation hostage to force budget beheading, states led by members of the reality-based community are taking matters into their own hands.

And once statewide single-payer stops health care costs from skyrocketing, the rest of the budget crisis may become manageable.

The states led by the brain-dead fanatics won't make it, of course - you should probably wave bye-bye to Texas and Florida now - but most will look at the successful states and choose to go with what works.