Vermont Democratic Party

Health Care

1. We believe that access to appropriate, quality medical care is the right of every human being.

2. We are committed to reducing costs and improving services within a system where every Vermonter, without regard to employment or income level, has access to health care, required prescription drugs, and long-term care. The system must offer a choice of health care providers, who are accountable to the public for quality of service, and patient fees must be based on ability to pay. 

3. We will ensure the right of Vermonters to medical privacy. All Vermonters have the right to seek and receive complete, accurate, and science-based information on family planning, pregnancy services, and the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases. We reaffirm the universal right of women to make decisions regarding abortion and other reproductive health issues, free from harassment and interference by government or other entities.

4. We will ensure the right of terminally ill Vermonters and their families to be informed of their end-of-life options and to have access to a careful, deliberate process in private consultation with their medical professional, in choosing the circumstances and manner of their deaths.

5. We support meaningful disclosure and limitations on marketing and gifts to physicians and other prescribing medical providers by pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers, in the interest of reducing any undue influence of pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers on physician practice.

6. We believe in promoting prevention as a cornerstone of our health care policy.