SPOTLIGHT: Ban on hospital advertising proposed

Some lawmakers in Vermont don't think that advertising is the best way for hospitals to spend their money, and are looking to ban the practice. State House Health Care Committee Chairman Steve Maier proposed the legislation, hoping to help cut health costs in his state, according to the Burlington Free Press. With the proposal, however, comes a question of constitutionality. "Certainly, [the legislation] would violate free speech," said Randy Capitani, publisher of the Deerfield Valley News in Wilmington, Vt. "[Hospitals] have to be able to tell their story." Article