President Obama on Monday supported letting states like Vermont implement their own health care plans three years earlier than currently permitted. Speaking at the White House to the National Governors Association, the president said states should be able to request waivers in 2014 rather than in 2017 if their plans cover as many people at the same cost. “At a time when 50 million Americans lack health insurance and when the cost of health care continues to soar, it is my strong hope that Vermont will lead the nation in a new direction through a Medicare-for-all, single-payer approach. I am delighted that President Obama announced today that he will, in fact,  support allowing states to innovate with health coverage models sooner rather than later.

“I worked hard to draft and secure the waiver provision in the health reform law and I am very pleased the president now agrees that we should make it available in 2014 as originally intended,” Sanders added.  “ While there is a lot of work to be done, I look forward to working with Senators Leahy, Wyden, Inouye, Brown and others in the Senate and Rep. Welch and others in the House to get this done as soon as possible.”