Health Insurance Stats Prompt Another Call For Reform

MONTPELIER, Vt. -- New statistics on the number of people who have health insurance in Vermont are prompting a change in the Senate's health care reform initiative.

Senators said they were hoping to rely on Gov. James Douglas' proposal requiring people whose employers offer health insurance to take it.

But that's when they thought there were as many as 17,000 people who could take advantage of employer-sponsored coverage.

Now a new survey says that no more than 7,000 people could get insurance through their employer.

That means there would not be as much savings to the Medicaid program and not as much money being pumped into health care by employers.

So, senators are looking to a new reform plan in Massachusetts as they rebuild their own.