President Obama openly endorsed moving the waiver date to 2014, which is what Peter Shumlin wanted to happen.
By moving the waiver date to 2014, the legislature can rapidly approve getting started on making the system. So many details can be considered such as a funding mechanism because of starting earlier. Vermont shall lead to single payer just like Saskatchewan did for Canada. Vermont is the home state of the very sane Bernie Sanders who got the vote of 66% of Vermonters in 2006.
Republicans governors like the idea of the waiver bill. This is nice for "states rights". Scott Brown supports the waiver bill written by Wyden in lame duck session. Mary Landrieu recently signed as a co-sponsor. Bernie Sanders, Wyden, Landrieu, and Brown are all lined up in support. Talk about a diverse group of senators. Once this goes through, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and other progressive states can really get close to Single Payer too. The Governor of Oregon has plans to make Oregon's system unique.
All states must obtain approval to opt out of certain health care law components. They will be granted approval ONLY if the state's health care system AT LEAST meets the federal standard. It must NOT increase the deficit.
http://news.yahoo.com/...
"Liberal-leaning states like Vermont would be able to experiment with a coverage-for-all approach similar to Medicare....."