November 25, 2025

NEED TO KNOW

VMS Closes Sale of Office Building

The Vermont Medical Society has owned and operated out of an historic downtown Montpelier office building since the 1970s – moving into the back carriage house in 2000.  VMS has been through many staff changes, changes in technology, renovations and multiple floods since owning the property.  Since working largely remotely since the COVID-19 pandemic, VMS’ need for office space has significantly decreased and the building was being rented to several tenants.  VMS staff and Board recommended putting the building up for sale in the spring, and we are pleased to announce that the sale of the building closed last Friday.   In a very fitting transition for the space, it will now be home to Maple Run Primary Care, a solo, independent primary care practice.  The note from Dr. Brian Rodgriquez and office manager Samantha Rodriguez is below.  VMS staff will continue our current status of working from home as we asses the need for any rented office space.  Continue to reach us the same way you always have – emails, phone calls and texts!  We do have a new PO Box for a mailing address: P.O. Box 153, Williamstown, VT 05679. 

Today marks a special milestone for us as we officially close on the building that will be home to Maple Run Primary Care. We are deeply honored to carry forward the legacy of a space so long in the care of the Vermont Medical Society.

For us, this isn't just a transaction, it's a commitment. A commitment to serve Montpelier and our surrounding communities with the same spirit, integrity, compassion, and stewardship that VMS has embodied since its founding more than two centuries ago. 

We respect the historic role you have played in Vermont's medical profession and in this building. As we turn the key, we pledge to honor the walls and the stories they hold, to uphold the values you have championed, and to advance wellness and continuity of care in this place with gratitude.

Thank you for entrusting this building to us. We are excited for the future, together.

With the warmest of regards,

New Vermont Commissioner of Health Responds to CDC Changes to Language on Vaccines and Autism Claims

A message from Health Commissioner Rick Hildebrant, MD:

"Years of dedicated study involving millions of people across several countries have come to the same conclusion. There is no link between vaccines and autism...Focusing money and attention as to whether there is a causal link between vaccines and autism diminishes the accomplishments of the tens of millions of neurodivergent people across the globe. This is not a problem to be fixed, it is diversity that should be celebrated."

Learn more about immunizations on the Vermont Department of Health's website: https://www.healthvermont.gov/disease-control/immunizations

Registration Open: 2026 Legislative Breakfasts

Please join us in 2026 to meet your lawmakers and to advocate for health care policies over coffee and a light breakfast.  These breakfasts, which will all be held in the cafeteria from 8-9am at the Vermont Statehouse in Montpelier, are an informal opportunity to educate lawmakers on ways to improve Vermont's practice environment.

The Vermont Medical Society (VMS) will be trading off hosting the breakfasts with the Vermont Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics Vermont Chapter, the Vermont Ophthalmological Society.

Registration is now available! Register here. 

Vermont Medical Society - All MD, DO, PA and Medical Students Encouraged to Join

Vermont Ophthalmological Society

Vermont Academy of Family Physicians

American Academy of Pediatrics Vermont Chapter

Learn more and RSVP for any of the dates here. Please reach out to Jill Sudhoff-Guerin at jsudhoffguerin@vtmd.org if you have any questions.

AHS and DFR Submit Reports on Health Care System Transformation

As required by Act 68, the Department of Financial Regulation (DFR) submitted a Domestic Health Insurer Sustainability Report in time for the upcoming Health Reform Oversight Committee (HROC) meeting being held at the Vermont Statehouse on Dec. 4th, 2025. The report shows that Vermont’s remaining domestic health insurers (especially BCBSVT) face growing financial strain driven by rapid increases in the underlying cost of care, persistent underwriting losses (38% stemming from the health plans sold on Vermont’s insurance exchange, Vermont Health Connect), and major reserve depletion tied to litigation and more than $50 million in Medicare Advantage losses. To stabilize the system, DFR outlines several policy levers, including site-neutral payments that pay the same for services regardless of where the services are offered, to encourage a shift care to lower-cost settings; expanded insurer tools like prior authorization and claims audits; strengthened reserve and rate-setting requirement; exploring reinsurance; and continued progress on delivery-system reforms such as reference-based pricing, global budgets, and a statewide health care system strategic plan. The Agency of Human Services (AHS) also filed these reports:

• Act 68 Health-Care System Transformation Report identifying and measuring progress on health-care system transformation indicators to reduce inefficiencies; lower costs; improve health outcomes; reduce health inequities; and increase access to essential services. Most metrics, like hospital readmissions and opioid-related ED visits, show no significant change in the few months that AHS has been submitting these updates. 
• Office of Health Care Reform Health Care Spending Reduction Report outlined Vermont’s plan to lower statewide hospital spending by at least 2.5% in FY2026, focusing on efficiency, care redesign, and coordinated regional action and through implementing a $2 million transformation grant program.
• AHS Reenvisioning the Agency of Human Services Report concluded that Vermont should retain AHS as a unified agency. The report highlights the need to modernize technology, improve communication across departments, and strengthen the workforce, noting that these operational changes, rather than a structural breakup, are key to improving outcomes for Vermonters.

Vermont Medical Society Joining Lawsuit Against MultiPlan and Leading Insurance Providers Over Health Care Price-Fixing

Last week, the Vermont Medical Society joined the MultiPlan Antitrust Litigation as a plaintiff. This is a federal antitrust action against MultiPlan (recently rebranded as Claritev), a healthcare data firm, and leading health insurance companies, including UnitedHealth, Elevance (Anthem), Humana, Aetna, Cigna, and various Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) entities.

Plaintiffs, including VMS, the American Medical Association, and some of the largest health systems and hospital staffing organizations in the country, allege these companies participated in a coordinated price-fixing conspiracy to generate billions in profits for MultiPlan and insurance providers by forcing physicians to accept increasingly low reimbursements for out-of-network services. The litigation seeks to end this illegal conduct as well as recoup financial damages for physician practices and healthcare providers who were harmed by this conduct.  

The lawsuits against MultiPlan have been consolidated into a multi-district litigation filed in the Northern District of Illinois.  In June 2025, the judge assigned to the case denied the defendant’s motion to dismiss the antitrust claims, allowing the case to proceed to discovery.  VMS will keep you updated as the case progresses.

What does this mean for members?

• Plaintiff medical societies are asking the court to order the defendants to stop their scheme of fixing the amount they are paying physicians for out-of-network services
• VMS joining the lawsuit does not make our members individual plaintiffs.
• Individual physicians, practices and facilities may be entitled to significant financial damages against MultiPlan and other insurance companies.

How can individual physicians learn more?

• Read the case description.
• You can reach out to the three lawyers who have been appointed as co-lead counsel in the litigation for non-class plaintiffs: Matthew M. Lavin of Arnall Golden Gregory; Hunter J. Shkolnik of Napoli Shkolnik Attorneys at Law; and Jennifer Scullion of Seeger Weiss LLP. You can start a free case evaluation here.
• You can watch a recorded webinar hosted by Matt Lavin of Arnall Golden Gregory. Passcode: NwyPS?1?
• Contact Jessa Barnard at jbarnard@vtmd.org regarding VMS’ participation in the case.

MISC.

Survey: Restrictive Employment Contract Provisions

H.205, An Act Relating to Agreements Not to Compete, has been referred to the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee. The Committee has asked a working group of interested parties, including the Vermont Medical Society, to review the bill, for the purpose of providing information to the committee. Rep. Herb Olson, Addison-4, is the legislative member on the working group and has asked for information regarding how many Vermont workers, including health care providers, are subject to non-compete, nondisclosure or nonsolicitation agreements.  Your responses to the following very brief survey are greatly appreciated: surveymonkey.com/r/YLXSTBH 

If you have additional questions contact Jessa Barnard at jbarnard@vtmd.org.

Limited Time Discount: Physician Compensation Insights for Just $49

If you want to understand whether you are being paid fairly or need quick benchmarking for an upcoming offer or renewal Resolve Contract Review, a VMS partner service, is offering a limited time discount on services designed to give physicians instant, reliable clarity around their compensation.

From November 28–30, Resolve’s Instant Compensation package is available for just $49 (regularly $199) using the code BLACKFRIDAY25.

This package includes 12 months of access to:

• rData – real-time, specialty-specific salary and contract benchmarks
• MGMA data
• AI Contract Review (results in <10 minutes)
• Career Dashboard & benchmarking tools
• Business of Medicine Course (7 hours CME)

Black Friday Offer is valid 11/28–11/30 (not to be combined with other offers), please use the following link: https://go.resolve.com/contract-hub-black-friday

Mildred Reardon Medical Student Scholarship Open for Applications for Class of 2027

Do you dream of becoming a Vermont doctor? 

The Vermont Medical Society’s Education and Research Foundation (VMSERF) is now accepting applications for the Mildred Reardon scholarship, which awards $10,000 to a University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine student committed to practicing medicine in Vermont.

The scholarship will be made to a Class of 2027 student interested in any specialty, with a preference for specialties in high need in Vermont.  The scholarship is tuition-linked and is paid directly to the College of Medicine towards tuition. Applications are due December 12, 2025.  Click here for more information and details on applying for the scholarship.

EVENTS

American Heart Association: New 2025 AHA/ACC High Blood Pressure Guidelines

December 15th from 7:30 - 8:30am

Virtual

This session will cover:

• Key changes in new BP guidelines
• Recommendations for clinical workflow changes
• Live Q&A

View the invitation here and register here.

2026 Hospital Medicine Conference

February 4-6, 2026

Topnotch Resort, Stowe, VT

This conference will focus on key clinical advancements and guidelines to ensure optimal patient care. The target audience is comprised of physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, pharmacists and nurses practicing in hospital medicine. We also encourage hospital medicine program administrators, resident physicians, and medical students with an interest in careers in hospital medicine.

Please visit the conference website the agenda and registration link here.

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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