Tuesday in the North East Kingdom

Yesterday Susan and I traveled to the NEK to meet people and talk to them to see how business was, and what they were concerned about. The first stop of the day was at the St.

Johnsbury senior center, where we stopped in to have lunch. It was a really nice place, and we were given a very warm reception as we talked to all of them about the challenges and problems they face from day to day.

After lunch we started around St Johnsbury talking to businesses and residents, and from Aquarealm to town clerk, we told them about the campaign, and they told us what was concerning them. We stopped at a little cafe in St Johnsbury for cold drinks, and once we were done we were back in the cars and off to Lyndonville.

In Lyndonville we met a great deal of the business community as we fought the heat (and common sense). It was well worth the trip however, as we met everybody from the pharmacists who had a little bit of everything in their store, to a woman who just bought a fabric store, and was starting to become successful because of all of the sales she made online.

After touring downtown we continued our quest for the perfect ice cream in Vermont at Carmans in Lyndon. Neither me or Susan was in the mood for a creemie, and we both went for cookie dough which was fantastic at 5pm. We saw a clock downtown display the temperature, it was still 93 degrees.

After Lyndon we traveled to East Burke to a house party that a friend of Susan's was hosting for her. Suzanne Masland was a very nice woman who had clearly been friends with Susan for a very long time. I had a burger Suzanne made (delicious), and helped set up. Soon other people started to show up.

The great thing about house parties is that they are so simple for me. Susan loves to talk to people, and she loves to make a connection and really get to the root of what people are thinking, and wants to know how she can help Vermonters. If you put her in a room full of people who are there to discuss exactly those issues with her, there is really nothing else that needs to be done.

I headed out probably a half hour before everybody else did, went for a swim above the waterfall in East Burke, and headed down to Bradford to visit my girlfriend. It was a long day, but a very successful one for Team Bartlett.

Andrew Desmarais.

Q & A with the Community of Vermont Elders (COVE)

Contact COVE

1. The Administration is about to require seniors who are on Vpharm to effectively turn over the $250 federal rebate to the state, which in many cases they will then have to refund about 70% back to the feds.  This will likely cause great confusion among seniors; take most of this money out of the Vermont economy; and deny this one time relief to many seniors who spend approximately $800 in Vpharm premiums and co-pays before they get to the donut hole.  Do you support the Administration’s recoupment efforts in this regard?

No I do not think it’s a good idea to make things even more confusing.  As you all know, the administration has backed away from this position.  Our seniors can certainly put this one-time relief to good use.

2. Unlike all other Vermonters who receive help from the state with their medical bills (e.g. Medicaid, VHAP, Catamount, etc) seniors can be required to reimburse the state after their death for the cost of their long term care by using the assets available in their probate estate.  Under the Vermont law, the state must file a claim with the probate court and is considered like other creditors when the estate is probated.  In the last legislative session, the Administration proposed that all assets, whether in the probate estate or transferred at death outside of probate (e.g. jointly held property, life insurance, etc.) would be subject to recovery.  The state would also be able to place a lien on a person’s home when they begin receiving long term care and remain their until after the person’s death.  Do you support his method of estate recovery?

It was my appropriations committee that said a resounding no to this idea from the administration.  It was presented, as part of Challenges for Change and it took my committee less than 15 minutes to figure out this was a really horrible idea.  I definitely do not support the concept.

3. How will you go about integrating Vermont’s health care reform efforts with the new federal health care reform law?

In S88, the health care bill we passed, we have asked that an outside consultant be hired to present the next legislature and the next governor a plan for moving the state to either single payer or matching our current system with the federal health care reforms.  We will have the ability to see which idea can really work best for all Vermonters.  I am certain that Vermont will make great strides forward in health care reform in this next session.  Of the $120 million deficit for next year, $30 million is due to increased health care costs.   Once we reform health care and as we move forward in containing the costs of health care, we will have much more flexibility in the state budget for other issues.

4. Given that Vermont may again face revenue shortfalls in the state budget next year, how do you propose protecting vital human services and supports from further budget and Challenges for Change cuts and erosions?

It is certain that next year’s budget will have a large shortfall.  If I were elected governor, immediately after the election, I would begin work with the current administration and the legislature to develop a budget and plans to protect vital human services.  I believe that some of the structural changes we have implemented will begin to show positive outcomes and we will be able to redirect spending within the current budget.  An example of this is I have supported efforts in corrections to help offenders integrate back into communities.  These ideas will save money in corrections and allow us to spend additional money in other areas of human services.

5. What are your plans for strengthening and advancing Vermont’s long term care infrastructure and Home and Community Based Services so that older Vermonters have choice, access and assurances for aging safely in communities?

At a forum in the recent past, we were asked if the budget issue in Vermont was one of revenues or spending.  My answer is that it is both.  Our revenues have dropped to below the 2005 level.  That means we have had to address our spending.  The long-term answer is to address our revenues by growing more and better jobs in Vermont.  That is what will grow the revenues that the state has to spend.  We also have to address the cost of health care, once we do that there will be money to spend on the needed services in our communities so older Vermonters can age at home.

6. Increasing numbers of old, frail and vulnerable Vermonters are falling victim to abuse, neglect and exploitation and the state agency charged with responding to reports and protecting vulnerable seniors has failed to meet this growing need.  What will you do to ensure that the state can protect vulnerable adults and provide an adequate emergency response to the abuse, neglect and exploitation of vulnerable adults?

It is obvious to me that we need to have more staff in place to respond to reports of abuse, neglect and exploitation.  As governor I would replace these positions immediately.  This is a situation where a few positions in state government can make all of the difference and it has always been my position that it is a fundamental duty of government to protect vulnerable individuals, no matter what their age.