Health Squabbles

Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas is expected to sign a bill today or tomorrow allowing prescription drugs to be reimported from Canada.

But don't look for the Republican governor to say much nice about the measure, which defies the Bush administration and was heavily promoted by Democrats in Montpelier. In fact, at an editorial board meeting with the Valley News earlier this week, Douglas said it might only help "a small number of people" - as few as 100 - and that he's also signing the bill to avoid a likely override of a veto.

"I don't want to prolong the debate," Douglas said. "There's also the political reality of overwhelming (Democratic) votes in both chambers, and I'm going to pick my fights."

And in statements certain to infuriate some Democratic lawmakers, Douglas said the legislature had spent too long on drug reimportation, rather than addressing what he considers more substantive reforms.

Douglas, for instance, has proposed a health care package that includes tax credits and other subsidies to cover about 12,000 of the 60,000 uninsured Vermonters.

"I'm frustrated the focus has been so narrow for a long time. - The program I've offered to them would cover a lot more people, and they've spent a third of the session on this reimportation bill," said Douglas, who noted that Democrats made health care a major issue in the 2004 elections.

"What happened to the sense of urgency?"

Senate Majority Leader John Campbell, a Quechee Democrat, yesterday said Douglas could have saved time by signing an executive order allowing drug reimportation, and also said Douglas' estimate of Vermonters who would benefit from the measure was far too low.

"I'm kind of perplexed by the governor's statement. All he had to do was sign the order," said Campbell, who said the legislature "absolutely" will pass other health care legislation this session.

"I'm as frustrated as every other Vermonter," Campbell said. "If (Douglas) doesn't want to upset Washington, the federal government, that's fine, just come out and say it. But we've got Vermonters that are really seriously in trouble because of health care costs. We need to put politics aside. This is a nonpartisan issue."

Meanwhile, Campbell had his own personal experience with the health care system last week after his dog scratched him in the eye.

Campell was wrestling with his 100-pound boxer when it "hit me and scratched my cornea, and lacerated 20 percent of my cornea," he said, noting that his wife had been warning him about the dangers of wrestling with the pooch.

After being examined at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Campbell had to wear an eye patch for several days and was stuck at home for a week, unable to read or watch TV.

He was back in the Statehouse this week "with a little blurriness," but expects to regain full vision in the eye. "I'm very fortunate," he said.