McClaughry: Vermont single-payer architect Anya Bader Wallack is back

By John McClaughry

On June 9 the UVM Health Network announced the appointment of Anya Rader Wallack to a high level position. She is quoted as saying, “I believe the American health care system is in crisis and can only be fixed by people who have a clear vision for reform and are in a position to improve it.” In case you are wondering who she’s talking about, she added, “I have dedicated my professional life to improving our health care system and keeping it affordable.”

Anya Rader Wallack

Anya Rader Wallack was the chief architect and promoter of Gov. Peter Shumlin’s single payer health care plan during the first two years of his governorship, at which point she abruptly fled the state when she saw it couldn’t be made to work. The Shumlin Plan collapsed in ruins in December 2014.

Now she’s back, with a Ph.D., in “social policy,” as chief promoter of the Brumsted Health Empire at UVM. She will be paid $400,000 to supply her “clear vision” to “keeping our health care system affordable.” Gov. Scott is paid $184,100 for his services.

I never met or even communicated with this woman and have no personal complaint about her. But I have a real problem when a wizard comes into Vermont, creates an unworkable $3 billion plan, ignores all criticism, watches it implode, abruptly gets out of town, and then reappears seven years later to pocket $400,000 a year to supply her clear vision that produced a colossal failure last time around.

John McClaughry is vice president of the Ethan Allen Institute. Reprinted with permission from the Ethan Allen Institute Blog.

14 thoughts on “McClaughry: Vermont single-payer architect Anya Bader Wallack is back

  1. We used to call this Crony Capitalism, or A Political Hack Job. In the People’s Republic of Vermont, It seems to be a requirement.

  2. Speaking of using “experts” to provide vision to solve health care cost control problems, John tells us that Anya Radar Wallack returns to Vermont with a PHD…….She is now Doctor Wallack.

    “Experts” with PHDs coming to Vermont to provide vision, save health care by trimming costs and being paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to do so is nothing new.

    A few short years ago, health care “expert” Dr. William Hsiao, PHD, from Harvard marched north to Vermont to launch the Single Payer System for Gov. Peter Shumlin…….Dr. Hsiao’s and his squad’s expertise cost hundreds of thousands. Following Hsiao was “expert” Dr. Jonathan Gruber, PHD from MIT……Hundreds of thousands more in fees paid. Then ‘experts’ from UMASS and elsewhere came proving promised visions in exchange for thousands of dollars from Vermont tax payers.

    Vermont has a long history of paying “experts” for vision and advice on health care and a short list of achievements……..Dr. Wallack is Vermont’s latest effort to find an “expert’ to provide the visionary path to health care cost savings.

    We now wait for the Green Mountain Care Board to announce that the UVM hospital system will require no further rate increases……..Don’t hold your breath or expect the cost of your next hospital visit to go down.

  3. Comrades. This is how the party intends it work. Do not question it or you will lose Social Credits!

  4. This is right at home for this woman; she is one of these people who are worshipped by the looney left in the Legislature, can do no wrong….. just look at the history here that John Mc has outlined.
    Apparently, there is no such thing as failure.

    Maybe we should ask her to fix the pension problem.

  5. Her “clear vision” is worth $400,000 a year? Looks like she’s squinting in that picture.
    I bet any kind of health care is “affordable” to her. Pig.

  6. Once again we see the colossal failure of our state. And the liberals keep supporting this. VT is such a lost state. I believe we are to the left of CA; never imagined that was possible.

  7. UVM trustees should be bombarded with letters concerning her mega-$$$ job she obviously has no qualifying track record for.
    They should ashamed of themselves.

  8. After many years of seeing health care costs skyrocket, the quality of care get worse, hospitals w/parking garages and nursing shortages….affordable health care you say Lady? It only means they’ll line their pockets at taxpayer expense. Another Obama disciple offering change you can pay for over and over again. The medical mafia is all our current health care system is now thanks to these thieves in freshly dry cleaned suits and smart sassy haircuts.

  9. Ms. Rader Wallack could prove that she is qualified for the newly created position of keeping health care affordable by eliminating the position on her first five minutes on the job.

    Only in Vermont can someone be put in charge of engineering the development a new health care program to reduce costs, have that program spectacularly fail after wasting well more than $200 million of tax payer money and then be hired to keep health care costs affordable at the state’ largest hospital………You can’t make this stuff up.

    • Vermont “experts/leaders” learn learns nothing.

      The more expensive the failure, the greater liklihood they will charge right down into
      the same firey hell hole again – with their pockets full of taxpayer’s money

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