Last night the Vermont Senate passed the "Healthy Vermont" bill (S.88) by a majority of 28-2. This is a victory for the "Healthcare Is A Human Right" Campaign led by NESRI ally, the Vermont Workers’ Center. The bill calls for the hiring of consultants to design three health care models, one of which must be a single payer system that is administered by government, publicly financed, and decoupled from employment. All three models must meet the “Healthcare Is A Human Right” principles of universal access and coverage, be comprehensive and affordable, be transparent in design, and ensure accountability and public participation in the design, implementation, and evaluation. Implementation of the selected design is to begin no later than July 2012. For more information click here.