Tuesday, June 9, 2026

NEED TO KNOW

Pictured above, left to right: VMS Executive Director Jessa Barnard; Maine Medical Association past president Scott Hanson, MD; New Hampshire Medical Society president Marie Ramas, MD; Dr. Schneider; VMS President Naiim Ali, MD; and Dr. Ravven. 

🏙️ AMA Annual Meeting Underway in Chicago

The American Medical Association's annual policy-setting meeting is taking place this week in Chicago. Vermont is represented by Catherine Schneider, MD, a general surgeon at Mount Ascutney and past VMS President, and Simha Ravven, MD, a psychiatrist at Howard Center and past VMS President, as an alternative delegate. To follow highlights and business from the AMA meeting, click here.

🚨 TIME-SENSITIVE Opportunity to Join Statewide Remote Patient Monitoring Platform

Garnet Healthcare is leading a consortium to build a Remote Patient Monitoring platform that will allow Vermont clinicians to review patients' physiological data collected at home, such as blood pressure, blood oxygen level, and blood sugar. Garnet is applying for a grant from the Rural Health Transformation Program to fund patient monitoring devices, training, and technical support. Practices need to express interest by June 10 (tomorrow) if they want to participate.

Click here for more information, reach out to rhtp@garnet.care with questions, and sign up to express interest in participating here.

✍️ Tell the Governor to Veto S.64

The legislation allows optometrists to perform laser and scalpel eye surgery without adequate training or supervision. Ophthalmologists in Kentucky and Oklahoma have reported numerous negative outcomes after similar bills passed in their states. "During my time in Oklahoma, I witnessed many instances of patient harm which were a direct result of optometric scope expansion legislation," Dr. Amy Gregory, an eye surgeon in Middlebury who practiced for a decade in Oklahoma, told lawmakers earlier this year. 

We urge you to contact Governor Phil Scott and ask him to veto the bill. You can reach his office by phone at 802-828-3333 or leave a comment online.

☀️ Senate Democrats Host Health Care Listening Session 

On a beautiful summer evening, the Senate Democratic Caucus honored Sen. "Ginny" Lyons for her decades-long work to improve the practice environment of health care across Vermont. As the longtime Chair of the Senate Health and Welfare Committee, Lyons was the lead sponsor of a primary care payment reform bill this year. She was also instrumental in restoring AHEC funding and $3.7 million in primary care funding back into the FY27 Budget. (The VMS still awaits the Governor's signature for these bills to go into law.)

The Senate Dems invited Chittenden County health care practitioners to attend the event and share their perspective on the challenges and rewards of practicing medicine in Vermont right now. The discussion brought a significant number of independent and employed practitioners out on Monday evening. Lyons said she intends to continue working with partners like the Vermont Medical Society to improve the health care system across the county and state. 

🦠 Public Health Updates from the Health Commissioner

Last week, Vermont Health Commissioner Dr. Rick Hildebrant spoke with VMS members about ongoing public health issues and answered questions about the Department of Health's recent health alerts and advisories. 

• Ebola: The disease is “really not a big risk to Vermont, really not a big risk to American either,” Hildebrant said. He added that hospitals should be prepared to respond to any emerging infectious diseases, not just this outbreak.
• PFAS: The department is not providing PFAS blood tests, as some Vermonters have requested, but patients can request a test from their clinician. However, if there's PFAS in their water, "they will have PFAS in their blood."
• Tick-borne illness: A reminder if you're worried a patient has a tick-borne illness, test for Anaplasmosis and Babesiosis as well as Lyme. It might also be appropriate to test for Powassan Virus, which can cause meningitis. But early detection is not very accurate, and has led to false negatives. Lone-star ticks, which can spread Alpha-gal syndrome, are not believed to be in Vermont.

MISC.

🧑‍⚖️ Judge Axes Trump's $100K Fee for H-1B Visas

A federal judge in Massachusetts ruled a Trump policy to impose a $100,000 fine on employers seeking visas for skilled foreign workers is unlawful and must be voided "in its entirety." The fee would have also applied to any foreign physicians who trained in the U.S. and wanted to reenter the country once their visas expired. The AMA called the decision "a victory for patients" and says international medical graduates "play a vital role in caring for patients, particularly in underserved and rural areas."

📋 Provide Feedback on the 2026 Physician Census

Every two years, when MDs and DOs relicense, the Vermont Department of Health surveys physicians about where they practice, if they plan to retire, and whether they're accepting new patients. The results influence workforce initiatives, advocacy, and more. You can see the 2024 Physician report here.

The Department of Health is seeking input on the planned 2026 census and is open to questions and comments. They’re especially interested in feedback on questions about telehealth and membership fees as they try to quantify the presence of direct care or concierge care in Vermont. Please view the planned questions here and reply to jbarnard@vtmd.org by Monday, June 29th with feedback.

📃 MultiPlan Litigation Update

The Vermont Medical Society is a plaintiff in a federal antitrust case alleging that MultiPlan and major health insurers colluded to suppress out-of-network reimbursement rates paid to physicians and other providers. VMS is seeking an immediate end to this anti-competitive conduct.

The case remains in active discovery, with dozens of bellwether plaintiffs continuing to have their cases worked up for trial. However, any member who wants to file a case can still do so. Members who believe they've been impacted by MultiPlan's practices are encouraged to reach out to an attorney.

👶💉 Newborn Hepatitis B Vaccination Rates Fall

Last year, Hepatitis B vaccination rates for infants in Vermont dropped to 80%, down from a high of 87% in recent years. National data reflects similar trends as federal officials, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have cast doubt on the longstanding recommendation that children receive the vaccine at birth, despite the long track record of safety. Last year, about 85% of pregnant people in Vermont were screened for the Hepatitis B virus, according to the Department of Health. The CDC recommends that all pregnant people are screened for the virus.

Read more on the latest vaccine news in the Department of Health's Vaccine Brief newsletter or click here to subscribe.

💊 Some Medicare Patients Eligible for Discounted GLP-1 Drugs

Starting in July, Medicare beneficiaries may be eligible for a GLP-1 prescription for weight loss for $50 a month through a CMS program called Medicare GLP-1 Bridge. This pilot program will expand access to certain GLP-1 medications for eligible Medicare Part D beneficiaries through the end of 2027. Eligibility is based mainly on body weight and health status. People will qualify if they have a body mass index of 27 or higher and have a history of prediabetes, stroke, myocardial infarction, or symptomatic peripheral artery disease. People with BMIs of 35 or higher automatically qualify. Read the prescriber fact sheet for more information.

🔎 Member Benefit: Physician Contract Review Services

As a reminder, VMS partners with the legal company Resolve that helps physicians review their contracts and provides compensation data. They can be a resource for when you're signing a new employment contract or renegotiating your current role. There's a 15% discount available for VMS members. See the full description on our website. 

EVENTS

Responsible AI in Vermont Healthcare: Policy, Governance, and Practical Implications

Wednesday, June 10, 12 - 1 p.m. | Remote

Artificial Intelligence is the topic of the moment—particularly in healthcare. VITL (Vermont Information Technology Leaders) welcomes John Wallace of Primmer Piper Eggleston & Cramer to examine the legal, regulatory, and operational issues raised by the use of AI in connection with the Vermont Health Information Exchange (VHIE) and its contributing health care organizations.

Perinatal OCD Training

Wednesday, July 1, 12 - 4 p.m. | Remote

Perinatal mental health clinicians often face complex decisions when OCD symptoms overlap with other perinatal conditions. This training will exploring screening and treatment considerations specific to working with perinatal OCD and demonstrate how to apply Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) within a holistic, trauma-informed framework.

Vermont Extreme Weather People's Hearing

Wednesday, July 8, 6 - 8 p.m. | Barre, VT

The Climate Action Campaign is organizing an event for Vermonters to share their experiences with extreme weather from flooding to heat, wildfire smoke, tick-borne illness and more. If you're interested in speaking, you can fill out this form or contact Aaron Petykowski.

Maternal Health Innovation Summit

Aug. 10 | Montpelier, VT

AMA Independent Practice Accelerator Workshop  

Sep. 11–12 | Chicago, IL 

Thinking about starting or growing an independent practice? Get the essential knowledge, practical skills and confidence you need to launch a new practice or strengthen the one you already have! The AMA Independent Practice Accelerator Workshop is a two-day, in-person event designed exclusively for physicians. Register today.

AlpTerra Wilderness Medicine Course

October 1–5, October 8–12, 2026 |

Franconia, New Hampshire

Join Alpterra for an immersive, hands-on wilderness medicine course designed to prepare you for real-life scenarios in the outdoors. Treat mock injuries, problem-solve in the elements, and walk away with practical skills that stick,

Learn more about the agenda and registration here.

Save the Date: Vermont ACP Annual Scientific Meeting

October 9th at Trapp Family Lodge | Stowe, VT

The Vermont ACP Chapter's Annual Scientific Meeting will occur on Friday, October 9, 2026. This will be an in-person meeting with no virtual option. We will host a poster competition for resident and student members.

2026 Collaborative Meeting

November 13 - 14, 2026 | Stowe, VT

The 2026 Collaborative Meeting is taking place November 13th and 14th at Topnotch Resort in Stowe, Vermont. Please save the date and join us this fall!

Stay up to date on additional details by visiting here. 

For more information about offerings from UVM Continuing Medical and Interprofessional Education, visit here.

Vermont Medical Society

PO Box 153

Williamstown, VT 05679

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