“Once the foundation is broken, I’m not sure that you get it back,” he told reporters at an outdoor press conference on Burlington’s Church Street. “We need to do something different.”
What that “something” would entail, Scott didn’t seem to know. Asked repeatedly what he would put in place of the state-based exchange, the Republican gubernatorial nominee demurred, saying he continued to investigate his options.
“Well, we’re still obviously waiting for the results of the study that was enacted by the legislature,” he said, referring to a $250,000 independent assessment that’s due to lawmakers in December. “They might come up with something as an alternative model to go towards.”
Scott has long argued that Vermont should consider moving to a multistate marketplace or the federal exchange, but he said Wednesday that he still did not know which he preferred — and does not “have the resources” to develop an alternative. Asked whether he owed it to voters to explain more before Election Day, he said, “Well, I’m saying we’re not going to continue the way we’ve been going.”
Though Scott said he was waiting for the results of the independent assessment, he would not commit to following its recommendations. Asked whether he would stick with Vermont Health Connect if the study showed it to be the most cost-effective option, the Republican nominee said he would not.
“We’ve been hearing that for three years now. I think we’ve been hearing that we’re right on the verge of making this work,” he said. “There have been a number of dates that have been missed over the last few years, and it’s still dysfunctional.”
Scott left plenty of other questions unanswered. He wouldn’t say how much he was willing to spend in order to replace Vermont Health Connect. And he wouldn’t say how he would provide state subsidies to low- and middle-income Vermonters if he moved to a federal exchange.
“Well, again, those are the details,” he said.
He wouldn’t even say whether he was committed to providing such subsidies.
“Well, I think we should weigh that out,” he said.
Scott wasn’t any more forthcoming about whether he supported Gov. Peter Shumlin’s proposal to pursue an all-payer waiver.
“I don’t think any of us fully understand it — and trying to get the details has been difficult,” he said, adding that he was “willing to … look at anything objectively.”
The lieutenant governor said he was committed to reducing Medicaid’s administrative costs, but he would not definitively say whether he would raise the program’s eligibility requirements.
“Well, I think everything’s on the table, but I’m not seeking to do that at this point in time,” he said.
As for whether the state should make primary care available to all its residents?
“I think it sounds expensive,” Scott said, arguing that the state had experimented enough with such reforms. “So I’m cautious of anything of that nature.”
Scott did answer one question Wednesday: whether he thought the creation of a new health care regulatory body — a signature accomplishment of the Shumlin administration — had been “positive.”
“I think the Green Mountain Care Board has done a lot of good work to control the cost of hospital care,” he said. “So I’m hopeful that we can continue with some of that good work.”
The Republican nominee may not have been prepared to address all those topics. Just 18 minutes into his press conference — after Scott had answered just eight minutes of questions from reporters — his spokesman, Ethan Latour, attempted to end the event. After reporters complained, Scott continued answering questions for another 10 minutes.
“In the future when you hold press conferences,” one reporter asked Scott, “can you commit to giving us at least half an hour to ask questions — since you’re running for governor?”
“Absolutely,” he pledged.
Got something to say?
Send a letter to the editor and we'll publish your feedback in print!
Here’s the deal, Heintz.
Scott didn’t build it. And he didn’t break it.
He’s going to be the next Governor. Deal.
Shumdog Millionaire commissioned this $300 million piss-away of a website. I’m pretty sure you could recreate Amazon for that cash.
The guy doesn’t precisely, down to the exact detail know what to do with this abortion.
Nobody else does.
It’ll get figured out.
It’s astonishing that Shumlin or anyone with a “D” or “P” next to their name on a ballot gets carte blanche and anyone that doesn’t know how to fix the ensuing dumbassery gets The Third Degree when it comes to their detailed plan to fix something that should have never happened in the first place.
It’s like asking “How do you plan to solve that tsunami that hit Japan a few years ago?”
Good lord, go back to Connecticut. Take a 100,000 of your transplant buddies with you.
Paul, I think you know this is unfair journalism. As Ed noted, media in Vermont seems to want to get every little detail of any Republican plan to do anything, even when the issues at hand were created by an incompetent Democratic governor. But all any Democratic candidate needs to do is offer up some free government program, such as free college or healthcare, and important questions are left out. Who will pay for us to move towards a universal primary care system? And how will that increased tax burden have an impact on an already fragile Vermont economy? These are questions that I don’t think I’ve ever seen you ask in the many press conferences I’ve attended with you.
I have the utmost respect for you, I think you’re a brilliant writer, but your bias is incredibly apparent.
Sounds like it was a Phil Scott “amateur hour”.
Whatever Phil Scott does on this, so long as he doesn’t flush $200 Million plus of our tax dollars down the toilet, a la Shumlin, it has to be an improvement.
Although some of Shumlin’s “smartest guys in the room” might disagree, such as MIT economist Gruber, who padded his bills and ran off with our tax dollars. We have good hearts and good intentions in Vermont. It is time to also start doing the arithmetic.
Phil Scott is an establishment candidate who can’t answer basic questions about one of his major platform proposals on which he called a press conference during his run for governor.
Good to see the Republicans fielding a winner.
When all else fails, always blame the press and those damn Democrats.
Vermont Health Connect is an attempt to fix a long-standing problem in this state. People have different opinions about its effectiveness, that’s fair. And I think it’s totally fair to ask any candidate how they would deal with the problem of Vermonters who went without health care. If you can’t propose a better alternative and be clear about it, then you’re not offering solutions.
The title of this article “leaving questions unanswered” is disingenuous and misleading. Phil Scott provided a strong answer multiple times. Instead of pandering to Vermonters to get votes, Sxott was honest and forthright by saying that the complex problens of health care require circumspect due diligence. In a time where instant gratification is both the norm and a scourge, Scott’s answers reveal a courageous form of leadership.