Vermont for Single Payer

10/14/2026

10/14/2026

https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2026/09/29/unpaid-medical-bills-land-hundreds-of-patients-around-kc-in-court/
“Occasionally, though, the people who end up on Willingham’s high-volume collections docket are guilty of getting sick and not paying the bill that came later from a hospital or doctor.
“Patient advocates said that kind of guilt is showing up more often in jurisdictions across Missouri and Kansas as medical costs rise and the share falling on patients — even patients who have insurance — increases.
“Recent national reporting about Kansas’ junior Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall has raised broader questions about the ethics and methods of collecting such debt.
“The New York Times reported that, as a private obstetrician-gynecologist a decade ago, Marshall charged his Barton County patients 18% interest on unpaid bills, took them to court and sought bench warrants when they didn’t show up. The newspaper counted 81 times when Marshall’s patients were arrested.
“Defense lawyers in the Kansas City area said bench warrants in debt collection cases aren’t common here. But they do see people being sued over unpaid medical bills on a regular basis.
“Often, if a patient fails to show up to a court hearing for any number of reasons, the court issues a default judgment, which can lead to the creditor garnishing the patient’s paycheck or placing a lien against their property.”

Nonprofit hospitals are required to help those who can't pay, but as medical costs rise and health insurance coverage shrinks, some patient advocates say hospitals need to do more.

10/12/2026

A Canadian's experience with US healthcare

10/11/2026

https://vtdigger.org/2026/10/08/universal-primary-care-is-at-the-center-of-the-race-for-governor-how-would-it-work/

Democratic challenger Amanda Janoo has proposed an income tax on the wealthiest Vermonters to fund primary and preventive care for all state residents. The idea has been met with support, skepticism and questions.

10/11/2026

https://kffhealthnews.org/health-care-costs/uninsured-doctors-obamacare-affordable-care-act-aca-rising-premiums-idaho/?utm_campaign=KHN%20-%20Weekly%20Edition&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=440955276&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_8UWIswcqyGULiHcW-cAw28mTSVSYnuToSTp5dt2gLxTO9XK66FrxUPmlqkYcc3TajnJ12pvJCDFMyMXRCr0ha4vnARg
“The healthcare industry traditionally has more of its workforce on medical insurance than many other fields. Nationwide, 7% of all healthcare workers were uninsured in 2024, compared with 11% of all adults under 65, according to a KFF analysis of the most recent American Community Survey data. And doctors were especially unlikely to forgo health insurance, with just 2% uninsured.
“But even healthcare workers are feeling the pinch as health insurance costs rise each year, with employers expecting that costs will jump an additional 8.2% for 2027.”

Like many Americans, Joshua and Ashley Durham saw their health insurance premiums rise by hundreds of dollars a month this year. Despite being healthcare practitioners all too aware of the risks, they chose to go uninsured. Others, though, can’t afford to go without.