None of these are attractive to politicians for obvious reasons. From a health system perspective, let me touch on issues that we face as we move forward. We have two years to comply with rules that have not yet been released. We do not have an estimate of what Vermont's portion will be. We're facing a growing labor shortage.
Details are on the next page.
Essentially we have fewer people who want to do the basic work of patient care. Competition is fierce for the few available and consequently the cost for a resource in high demand goes up. There is little hope for immediate relief. Federal cuts in the Medicare budget impacts everyone. Less money from Washington means everyone else will pay more to make up the difference for a quality health care system with good access and guaranteed benefits.