October 14, 2025

NEED TO KNOW

VMS Leaders Highlight Impact of Federal Funding Cuts on Vermont Patients

VMS Board members Naiim Ali, MD (radiology), Rebecca Bell, MD (pediatric intensivist), Lauren MacAfee, MD (OBGYN), Anne Morris, MD (family medicine), and Simi Ravven, MD (psychiatry) along with VMS member Michael Shesser, MD (emergency medicine), Julie Ehrlich, MD (pediatric resident) and Ellen Arrowsmith, LICSW (VT Consultation & Psychiatry Access Program) all cleared their schedules with short notice to respond to a request to join Vermont Congresswoman Becca Balint to discuss the impacts of HB 1 on patient care. They joined a roundtable discussion last Wednesday with Representative Balint to share their perspectives on how cuts to Medicaid and subsidies for plans on the insurance exchange will lead to more patients without insurance, skipping needed health care services, and having poorer health outcomes.  The event was covered by the media here .  Thank you to our members for your dedication to advocating on behalf of your patients. 

Senator Peter Welch also reached out to Vermont health care workers this week with a message of appreciation for the work you do serving Vermonters every day despite the policy and funding attacks coming from the current federal administration.  Watch his message here.

Media Picks up on Automatic Downcoding Policy Controversy

As covered in the Rounds last month, the AMA sent a letter to Cigna objecting to their new Evaluation and Management (E/M) Coding and Accuracy policy (R49), which goes into effect October 1, 2025. Under this new policy, Cigna may reduce E/M Current Procedural Terminology® (CPT®) codes 99204-99205, 99214-99215, and 99244-99245 “to a single level lower when the encounter criteria on the claim does not support the higher level E/M CPT code reported.”  Cigna is not the only insurer with similar policies in place -  Atena, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Humana and Molina Healthcare have all acknowledged downcoding higher level claims for certain office visits – as covered by this recent article by NBC News.  The article goes on to highlight the AMA’s opposition to automatic downcoding that takes place before reviewing clinical information. 

Register by October 26th for the 2025 Collaborative Meeting 

Registration for the 2025 Collaborative Meeting, hosted by the Vermont Medical Society, American Academy of Pediatrics Vermont Chapter, Vermont Academy of Family Physicians, and the Vermont Psychiatric Association, will close on October 26th at midnight!

Join us in-person at Topnotch Resort in Stowe, VT on November 7–8 for two days of education, collaboration, and connection. (Please note: There is no virtual option for the educational sessions this year. The only virtual component offered will be the Awards Banquet on Friday, November 7th.)

Topics include:

Register here for the 2025 Collaborative Meeting by October 26th!

October Vermont Vaccine Program Update Available

The Immunization Program at the Vermont Department of has sent its October Vermont Vaccine Program Update, containing important updates regarding COVID-19 vaccine ordering, RSV antibody administration and more.  Materials from Provider Update Call on October 1^st are also available. You can always visit the Immunization Program website to access the slides and video from this call, as well as recordings from previous calls over the past six months.

MISC.

Busy Contract Season is Here — How Can We Help?

October always kicks off a busy season for physician contracts. Many VMS members will be reviewing new offers or renewals right now — which means it’s a critical time to make sure you know that you don’t have to navigate it alone.

VMS partners with Resolve to step in with contract reviews, compensation data, and negotiation support to give you clarity and confidence. Resolve has also launched a new Career Dashboard where physicians can track contracts year-over-year, compensation, real-time salary data comparisons, and benefits all in one place.  Learn more about VMS discounts on Resolve contract review packages here.

Listen to our Podcast: The Review Podcast

Subscribe to our Newsletter:  The Review

New Grant will Enhance PA Training in SUD and MAT Use in VT & NH

The New England Rural Health Association (NERHA) is proud to announce it has received a Notice of Award from the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (HRSA FORHP) for the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP), Northern Border Rural Workforce Grant. The award totals $1.6 million over four years and will support training, placement, and sustainability efforts to strengthen the Physician Assistant (PA) Substance Use Disorder (SUD) workforce across rural Vermont and New Hampshire.

Over the four-year project period, working closely with Area Health Education Center (AHEC) partners, the program will train more than 100 PA students in SUD treatment. Training will focus on competencies, including Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) prescribing, such as buprenorphine, as well as related areas like recovery coaching and therapy. Franklin Pierce University’s PA Program will lead both didactic and clinical experiential instruction and the program will place graduating certified and licensed PAs in rural healthcare facilities, such as Critical Access Hospitals, Rural Health Clinics, Community Health Centers, and Community Mental Health Centers.

EVENTS

Vermont Public Health Association: Federal Cuts to Global and Public Health Programs: Effects and Responses

October 16, 2025 - 5pm to 8pm

In-Person and Virtual

Join the University of Vermont and Vermont Public Health Association for an evening of critical exploration of the impacts federal funding cuts and policy changes are having on global and public health. With global and public health systems facing unprecedented headwinds, what’s the latest on these disruptions? How is the global and public health community responding? What more can and must be done to protect the health of our communities here and around the world?

Come engage with our event’s keynote speaker and two panels of global health and public health experts (bios below) as we explore how to best navigate these tumultuous times.

This is a free event, but pre-registration is required here.

Medicare Advantage: The Good, The Bad, and The Future

October 21, 2025, 4pm to 5pm

In this session, three nationally recognized experts will discuss opportunities and challenges for Medicare Advantage, which now enrolls more than half of Medicare beneficiaries. The panelists will examine evidence of the program’s effects on quality and costs; weigh concerns about risk adjustment and coding practices; and consider the tradeoffs that policymakers face when deciding whether and how to reform the program.

View the flyer here and register here. 

Clinical Quality Symposium: Building & Expanding Collaborative Systems for Maternal Health

October 28, 2025

Join us for a one-day symposium focused on strengthening partnerships across maternity care, primary care, and public health. Designed for maternity providers, primary care clinicians, public health professionals, and community organizations, this event will explore collaborative models to improve maternal health outcomes—particularly in the face of growing maternity care deserts in Vermont and New Hampshire.

Sessions will include:

• Innovative approaches to integrating maternity and primary care
• Dedicated breakout tracks for maternity and primary care providers
• Strategies to support postpartum care and mental health
• Practical tools for building cross-sector collaboration

Register here.

2025 Obesity Medicine & Weight Management Conference

November 14, 2025

Delta Hotel, South Burlington, VT

This conference is designed to improve the skills of primary care healthcare teams as they navigate new treatments in obesity medicine and weight management. The target audience includes primary care physicians, nurses, physical therapists, and other health professionals who pertain to primary care.

Learn more and register here.

New England History of Medicine Society: Noah Webster: Proto Epidemiologist with Richard Kahn, MD

November 18, 2025

Virtual

Noah Webster (1758-1843), best known for the dictionary that bears his name (1828), was also an educator, newspaper editor, lawyer, and politician, and he advocated for universal education, social welfare, and public health. Less well known are his efforts to understand the causes and prevention of diseases such as yellow fever that plagued the young nation, Though not a physician, between 1796 and 1800 Webster published two books and many articles on disease, public health, yellow fever, and quarantine, and this work catalyzed the creation of the first U.S. medical journal, The Medical Repository (1797-1824).

Richard Kahn's research explores Webster’s medical writings, their publication challenges, and contemporary responses.

Learn more and register here.

Dartmouth Health: 2025 NNEPQIN Fall Conference

November 19 - 21, 2025

Omni Mount Washington Resort, Bretton Woods, NH

Registration is open for the NNEPQIN Fall 2025 Conference! The conference will be taking place November 19-21, 2025, at the Omni Mt. Washington Resort in Bretton Woods, NH. A pre-conference opportunity is available on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, with either the obstetric track or neonatal track options. The pre-conference is available for actively practicing inpatient providers (MD, DO, CNM, and RN). Registrants can attend just the pre-conference if desired, or join for the main conference as well!

We have presentations related to TeleOB, neonatal cooling, inclusive care for LGBTQIA+ patients, breastfeeding support, SUD and cannabis use in pregnancy, adoption and legal considerations, shared decision-making and its impact on moral injury, postpartum mental health, NICU transitions, and more. We have topics to inspire every member of your care team—covering prenatal, delivery, postpartum, and neonatal follow-up. We hope your interprofessional team will participate!

Learn more and register here.

Save the Dates - 2026 VMS Advocacy Breakfast Series

Please join us in the Vermont Statehouse cafeteria for informal conversation with legislators over coffee on specific Wednesday mornings from 8-9am throughout the legislative session. Starting this January, lawmakers will be tackling tricky policy issues like Medicaid coverage, health care workforce initiatives and next steps in both State and federal health care reform. Your expertise is incredibly valuable in educating them on the practice of medicine in Vermont and what you think can improve our current system. These advocacy breakfasts are hosted by the Vermont Medical Society, the Vermont Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics Vermont Chapter, the Vermont Ophthalmologic Society, and the Vermont Psychiatric Association. Each date will be hosted by your specific specialty society with everyone being welcome on the Vermont Medical Society dates. Look for the dates to be posted to our website shortly - but look below for a preview of the Wednesdays we will be hosting Legislative Coffee Hours in 2026:

• Jan. 21- Vermont Medical Society/Vermont Psychiatric Association
• Feb. 3 – UVM OB/GYN Residents
• Feb. 4 - Vermont Ophthalmologic Society
• Feb. 18 - Vermont Academy of Family Physicians
• Mar. 18 - American Academy of Pediatrics Vermont Chapter
• Apr. 1 - Vermont Academy of Family Physicians
• Apr. 15 - American Academy of Pediatrics Vermont Chapter
• Apr. 29 - Vermont Medical Society

AlpTerra Wilderness Medicine Course

March 5–9, March 12–16, 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.

• Max 4:1 participant-to-instructor ratio for highly personalized, discussion-driven learning.
• Accredited for up to 16 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ — an excellent use of your CME allowance.
• Stay on-site in a luxury home-style setting. Enjoy locally sourced, family-style meals tailored to dietary needs.
• Add-on trips let you ski, climb, or explore the White Mountains with expert guides before or after your course.

Learn more about the agenda and registration here.

For more information about offerings from UVM CMIE, visit here.

Vermont Medical Society

134 Main Street

Montpelier, VT 05602

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