MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin and legislative leaders said Monday they wanted to make it possible for more of the state's small businesses to offer lower premium health insurance plans sometimes known as "bronze plans" until the state can implement its single payer health care system.

Speaking Monday in Montpelier, Shumlin and leaders from the House and Senate, all Democrats, said they would also allow businesses with more than 50 employees to remain outside the federally-mandated health care exchange until 2016.

"We feel strongly that the exchange is not the answer to all Vermont's health care problems," Shumlin said at a news conference in the Montpelier Statehouse. "We feel that as we design an exchange it should have maximum flexibility and allow shoppers to make choices for insurance until we implement our plan in Vermont."