February 10, 2026

NEED TO KNOW

House Committees Begin Working on FY27 Budget; Cannabis Bill Would Expand Sales

The VMS is preparing for another busy week in the Statehouse and will be testifying Wednesday morning in the House Health Care Committee on the FY27 Governor’s Recommended Budget. Anne Morris, M.D., Associate Dean of Primary Care and the Vermont AHEC Network at the Larner College of Medicine, is bringing the current AHEC Scholars Community Engagement cohort to the Statehouse on Wednesday and will be testifying regarding the impact of proposed funding cuts to AHEC pipeline programming, physician placement services and the AHEC Loan Repayment Program. Jessa Barnard, Executive Director of the Vermont Medical Society, will also be testifying in opposition to proposed cuts to primary care payments from Medicaid tied to the ending of OneCare Vermont.

H.545, the bill regarding Vermont adopting its own immunization recommendations, is now being heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee, but is expected to be passed by the Senate Health and Welfare Committee and advance to the Senate floor this week. 

A new draft of H.583, the private equity in health care practice bill, prompted VMS and other health care organizations to write a collective letter urging the Committee to not adopt this bill that, as written, would severely impact current medical practices and asked the Committee to consider alternate language, which would more narrowly focus on limiting corporate control of medical decision-making.

Legislature Adopts Vermont's Rural Health Transformation Grant Application 

Last Friday, the Agency of Human Services (AHS) presented the latest draft of the first year Rural Health Transformation Grant Application (RHT) to the Joint Fiscal Committee. The Committee cannot make changes but will need to adopt each of the 1-yr. $195 million-dollar RHT grant applications over the next five years.  AHS is working directly with CMS on the agreement and is learning about the restrictions on funding as they move forward to release RFPs for each area of funding. One key update they learned last week is that only 15% of the annual allotment can go towards provider payments. 

The RHT deadlines are steep, as the detailed report on who will be contracted to do the work is due August 2026, obligations of funding are due October 2026 and the first year's spending deadline is Sept. 30, 2027. Any funds not spent by then will be clawed back and redistributed to states that have successfully spent down the allocation.

Information from AHS’ presentation can be found here:

Rural Health Transformation Projects by Department
Rural Health Transformation Presentation

Rural Health Transformation Program Budget Narrative

• The RHT grant includes funding for these programs:
• Development of a statewide health care delivery strategic plan $2,527,500
• RHT independent evaluator $1,000,000
• Hospital & Regional transformation analytics and support $15,000,000
• Facility upgrades to support regionalization $21,500,00
• Support a statewide closed-loop referral system $455,000
• Transformation, innovation, and regionalization support grants $26,923,184
• Statewide health care data platform modernization and transparency initiative $2,635,000
• Establishing a shared Human Resources Information System (HRIS) system $1,502,000
• Incentivizing adoption of a shared Electronic Health Record (EHR)/Electronic Medical Record (EMR) platform $17,250,000
• Statewide e-Consult expansion and workforce capacity building $1,550,000
• Grants to providers to adopt Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) equipment $900,000
• Grant funds to providers to adopt telehealth technology $8,000,000
• Grants to providers to adopt Artificial Intelligence (AI) transcription/scribe technology $1,030,000
• Blueprint - Providing enhanced capacity for team-based care PMPM to support CHT staff $18,000,000
• Blueprint Mental Health and community support integration into primary care teams $600,000
• Enhancing Blueprint transformation network capacity $1,800,000 
• Blueprint workforce support and system integration development $1,200,000
• Enhancing primary care-focused data and analytics infrastructure $1,160,000
• Expanding access to Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) primary care services $1,800,000
• Incentivizing access to primary care – PMPM to practices that meet access requirements  $15,000,000
• Specialty and primary care performance payments $15,000,000 - to incent collaboration
• Improve availability and access to high acuity services for nursing home residents including dialysis services and ventilators $1,450,000
• Expand access to Licensed Nursing Assistant (LNA) training programs $810,000
• Mental Health (MH) and Substance Use Disorder (SUD) urgent care expansion $2,050,000
• Statewide e-Consult expansion and workforce capacity building/VTCPAP $750,000
• Statewide assessment of options to improve health coverage affordability $500,000 - from H.585
• Mobile units offering medical, and integrated Mental Health (MH) and Substance Use Disorder (SUD) treatment $1,940,000
• Mobile units offering dental care $732,570
• Establish the Maple Mountain Consortium Family Medicine Residency Program $985,000
• Expand pharmacists’ scope to include test-to-treat in more scenarios $1,070,000
• VDH Community paramedicine/Mobile Integrated Health model $5,370,000
• Creating a centralized tool to guide interfacility transfers $2,900,000
• Expanding access to recovery housing for individuals with Substance Use Disorder (SUD) needs $8,000,000
• Workforce development tuition assistance program $811,000 
• Invest in Vermont’s “critical occupations” no-cost tuition program $934,500 
• Vermont conditional financial assistance program $4,812,500 (Note:  CMS may be skeptical of this use)
• Health care professions residency program $4,000,000 - Nurse/home health residency 

Optometry Surgery and Psychologist Prescribing  – Please take Action

Weigh in on Optometrists Performing Eye Surgery

Last week, the Senate Health and Welfare Committee heard from physicians regarding concerns with authorizing optometrists to perform “minor” surgical procedures. Witnesses included Jessica McNally, MD, President of Vermont Ophthalmological Society; Matthew Greenberg, MD, Chair of the Vermont Board of Medical Practice; Jeff Young, MD, comprehensive ophthalmologist; and Divy Mehra, DO, an ophthalmology resident.

Please continue to reach out to Senate Health & Welfare Committee members share information about why optometric scope expansion risks patient safety and does not address patient access to care. Email the committee at: vlyons@leg.state.vt.us; mgulick@leg.state.vt.us; acummings@leg.state.vt.us; John.Morley@vtleg.gov; john.benson@vtleg.gov; Calysta.Koppenhaver@vtleg.gov

For more information, see: https://safevisionvt.org/ 

Psychologist Prescribing – VOTE Expected Tomorrow Morning (Wednesday 2/11)

H. 237 would allow psychologists with additional training to prescribe medications. Bud Vana, MD and Evan Eyler, MD, testified on behalf of the Vermont Psychiatric Association last week with concerns that the bill will not meaningfully increase access to services and that there are more effective ways to increase access to evidence-based prescribing. The Committee is expected to vote on the proposal as soon as tomorrow, Wednesday, February 11.

Please reach out to Senate Health and Welfare Committee members with comments: vlyons@leg.state.vt.us; mgulick@leg.state.vt.us; acummings@leg.state.vt.us; John.Morley@vtleg.gov; john.benson@vtleg.gov; Calysta.Koppenhaver@vtleg.gov

Oppose Proposed State Cuts to Primary Care Loan Repayment, Physician Placement Programs

Governor Phil Scott and his agencies are now presenting their agency budgets to the legislature, and the proposed Vermont Department of Health budget includes significant cuts to key primary care workforce programs run by the UVM Area Health Education Centers (AHEC). The proposal includes:

• Eliminating the state-based AHEC loan repayment program: $667,111 for the program that provides loan repayment for primary care physicians (MD, DO, or NDs), APRNs, certified nurse midwifes, PAs, nurses and dentists
• Eliminating the AHEC Network, supporting infrastructure and early pipeline health careers programming across Vermont
• Eliminating physician placement services: $50,000 provided for Physician Placement Services

Please contact the House Human Services Committee and House Appropriations Committees urging them that now is not the time to cut health care workforce development programs: twood@leg.state.vt.us; rgarofano@leg.state.vt.us; adonahue@leg.state.vt.us; dbishop@leg.state.vt.us; ecole@leg.state.vt.us; zeastes@leg.state.vt.us; emaguire@leg.state.vt.us; jmcgill@leg.state.vt.us; tnielsen@leg.state.vt.us; bsteady@leg.state.vt.us; dnoyes@leg.state.vt.us; lmorse@leg.state.vt.us; rscheu@leg.state.vt.us; mfeltus@leg.state.vt.us; tbluemle@leg.state.vt.us; edickinson@leg.state.vt.us; jkascenska@leg.state.vt.us; wlaroche@leg.state.vt.us; mmrowicki@leg.state.vt.us; mnigro@leg.state.vt.us; tsquirrell@leg.state.vt.us; tstevens@leg.state.vt.us; dyacovone@leg.state.vt.us

Licensing and Credentialing Reform Successes Benefit more than 3M Physicians and Health Care Professionals

The AMA and Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation are pleased to share this week that 43 medical boards, and more than 2,000 hospitals, freestanding emergency departments, freestanding surgery centers, urgent care centers and independent primary care clinics have now been verified by the AMA and Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation that their licensing and credentialing applications do not include intrusive, stigmatizing mental health and substance use questions. These changes help make it safer for more than three million physicians and other health care professionals to seek care. Read the full announcement here.

The Vermont Medical Society congratulates the Vermont Board of Medical Practice, Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital, and Rutland Regional Medical Center for receiving this status.  We urge all hospitals in Vermont to ensure that their credentialing applications do not contain inappropriate, stigmatizing language about mental health and substance use.  The AMA and Breen Foundation offer resources and support to help you through this process.  Please contact jbarnard@vtmd.org with any questions.  Click here [and scroll down slightly] to see the list of licensing boards and hospitals in Vermont that have been verified as having applications consistent the recommendations of the AMA and Breen Foundation.

Nels Kloster, MD, Medical Director of the Vermont Practitioner Health Program, and Kim Blake, MD, VMS Member Receiving Lifetime Achievement Awards

Dr. Kloster and Dr. Blake are receiving a a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Vermont Association for Mental Health and Addiction Recovery, in collaboration with Recovery Partners of Vermont.

Dr. Kloster is being recognized for decades of work expanding access to treatment and advancing coordinated, person-centered systems of care. Learn more about his work with the Vermont Practitioner Health Program here. 

Dr. Blake, OB-GYN and addiction medicine physician, is being honored for leadership in harm reduction, low-barrier treatment and compassionate care informed by lived experience.

Join us in congratulating Dr. Kloster and Dr. Kim Blake on this achievement! 

MISC.

Notes from Commissioner of Health, Dr. Rick Hildebrant Public Health Call

On February 5th the VMS held a call with Commissioner of Health, Dr. Rick Hildebrant that covered public health issues and allowed time for Q&A. You can view the notes from the call here. VMS members can submit questions on an ongoing basis using this link. Questions will be shared with the Commissioner ahead of time. 

Join us on March 5th  for our next call at 12:30pm by clicking here.

Meeting ID: 867 2625 3105 / Password: 540684

One tap mobile - +1 646 876 9923,,86726253105#,,,,0#,,540684#

Dial In - +1 646 876 9923 / Meeting ID: 867 2625 3105 / Password: 540684

Measles Wastewater Detection in Washington County

Summary of Requested Actions

• Report all suspected cases of measles to the Health Department immediately at the time of initial clinical suspicion by calling 802-863-7240, option 2. Do not wait for laboratory confirmation to report.
• Test for measles in patients presenting with febrile rash illness and clinically compatible measles symptoms.
• Ensure all patients are up to date on MMR vaccine. Expect questions and concerns about the MMR vaccine due to widespread false and misleading information. Refer to updated resources for tips on having vaccine conversations and addressing concerns.
• Review infection control plans to prepare for measles cases.

Situation Summary

Measles virus was detected during routine testing of wastewater (sewage) samples collected on February 2 and 3, 2026, from a wastewater treatment facility in Washington County. This detection is a sign that a person with measles has been present in the community.

Detection of measles in wastewater does not identify a measles case, and no active measles cases have been reported in Vermont. However, the Health Department urges providers to maintain heightened awareness for patients with symptoms compatible with measles and to continue to promote vaccination. Wastewater signals can precede clinical detection and serve as an early warning indicator.

Read more here.

Reminder for Vermont Practices: Vermont State Teachers’ Retirement System Partnership with HealthSpring^SM

Beginning on Jan. 1, 2026, more than 7,100 retirees from the Vermont State Teachers’ Retirement System moved to a HealthSpring True Choice (PPO) Group Medicare Advantage Plan.

Here’s what Vermont health care practices should know:

• HealthSpring plans were previously known as Cigna Medicare plans. In 2025, The Cigna Group sold its Medicare business to Health Care Service Corporation. As a result of this transaction, Cigna Medicare is now HealthSpring.
• VSTRS retirees are enrolled in a group-sponsored HealthSpring Medicare Advantage plan. This is a passive PPO plan with no network restrictions or referrals required. Members pay the same out-of-pocket cost-share for in-network and out-of-network covered services.
• If you are a Medicare provider, you may treat these members regardless of your contract or network status with HealthSpring. The only requirements are that you agree to see the member as a patient, accept Medicare assignment and submit claims to HealthSpring.
• For helpful information on doing business with HealthSpring, refer to the article Welcome to HealthSpring: We’re Here to Help You Serve Our Members in the News section of HealthSpring.com/Providers.

HealthSpring Provider Customer Service is available to help with any questions at 1-800-230-6138, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. CT.  Or visit HealthSpring.com/Providers.

Significant Wins for Patients, Physicians in Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026

After a short partial government shutdown, H.R. 7148, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026 was signed into law last week by President Trump. The legislation included funding for the Department of Health and Human Services and significant health care policy wins: 

Medicare telehealth extensions

• Section 6209 extends Medicare telehealth flexibilities for two years, through Dec. 31, 2027.
• Following the disruptive 43-day lapse during the 2025 government shutdown, this extension restores continuity of care for Medicare beneficiaries. 

Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program—virtual expansion

• Section 6214 includes the PREVENT DIABETES Act, an AMA-endorsed policy expanding access to the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP).
• For the first time, CDC-recognized virtual diabetes prevention programs will be included in the MDPP expanded model on a trial basis from Jan. 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2029.

Five-year extension of Acute Hospital Care at Home

• Section 6210 extends the Acute Hospital Care at Home (AHCaH) waiver for five years, through 2030.

Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act reauthorization

• Section 6508 reauthorizes and expands the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act for five years, through FY 2030.
• The bill continues funding, mandates annual stigma-reduction campaigns, broadens grant eligibility to address administrative burden, and aligns grant periods with the authorization length. 

PBM reform

• The legislation includes targeted pharmacy benefit manager reforms to enhance transparency, curb abusive Medicare drug rebate practices, and strengthen enforcement against anti-competitive behavior. 

Maternal health

• The bill reauthorizes the PREEMIE Reauthorization Act to expand federal research on preterm birth and improve outcomes for premature infants.
• It also reauthorizes the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act, increases authorized funding to $100 million annually through 2030, expands the scope of state maternal mortality review committees, and directs federal agencies to more regularly disseminate best practices. 

VMS Financial Webinar - Approaching Retirement

Are you confident in your retirement plan? Concerned about market volatility? Do you have a strategy to protect your investments while maximizing returns? Join us for an exclusive retirement planning seminar for VMS members.  We will discuss key strategies to secure your financial future and enhance your investment growth in today’s unpredictable market.

2/17/2026 - 7 pm  https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_n6ZWRH17TnKg7T54NGXtYQ

2/18/2026 – 7 pm https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_w2ik1FJtQg6NAO-V-LavuQ

Clinician Recruitment: University of Vermont Perinatal Substance Use Care Research Study

Vermont clinicians are invited to participate in an IRB-approved research study to better understand current care practices, challenges, and workflows for perinatal patients with substance use disorder. Insights from participating providers will be analyzed alongside a de-identified chart review (2021-2023) to identify trends in MAT discontinuation and gaps in care. Providers involved in the care of perinatal patients including OBGYNs, family medicine practitioners, pediatricians, addiction medicine, and psychiatrists are invited to participate.

Choose the option most convenient for you:

1. One-on-one interview (Zoom or Teams) (30 – 60 Minutes)
2. Virtual focus group (Zoom or Teams) (30-60 Minutes)
3. Anonymous REDCap Survey (no scheduling needed)

Use the link below to sign up:  https://calendly.com/bazinetphillipsj  If you would like more information before signing up or prefer to participate via an anonymous REDCap survey, please feel free to contact us by email at Jasmine.Bazinet-Phillips@med.uvm.edu or phone at (802)-847-7986.  See more information on the survey flyer and information sheet.

FREE Billing and Coding Trainings in mid-March 2026

Offered by Bi-State Primary Care with financial assistance from the NH Division of Public Health and the VT Office of Rural Health and Primary Care.  The 2026 trainings will include important updates for the new year and will be open to and useful for all primary care practices, including hospital-owned and independent group and solo practices.

BILLER/CODER TRAINING: March 17^th (9am-4:30pm) & 18^th (9am - 12:30pm)

CEUs/CMEs: Approved for 11 CEUs AAPC/ArchProCoding

Instructor: John Burns  REGISTER HERE

The biller/coder training is a 1.5-day workshop focusing on clinical documentation, coding, & billing for primary care practices. The biller/coder training covers everything from when the patient walks through the door until they leave. 

CLINICAL PROVIDER TRAINING: March 20th  (1- 5pm) 

CEUs: Approved for 4 CEUs by AAPC & ArchProCoding

Instructor: Gary Lucas  REGISTER HERE

The ½ day clinical provider course focuses more on documentation and dives deeper into how to use modifiers, what reporting quality is and why it's so important. It also includes category 1 CMEs. 

Contact Jim Zibailo at jzibailo@bistatepca.org with any questions or for further information.

EVENTS

New England History of Medicine Society - Jim Crow & the Asylum: Psychiatry and Civil Rights in the American South

Tuesday, Feb 10, 2026 at 7pm (eastern) via Zoom

There is a complicated history of racism and psychiatric healthcare in the Deep South states. Kylie M. Smith mixes exhaustive archival research, interviews, and policy analysis to offer a comprehensive look at how racism affected Black Southerners with mental illness during the Jim Crow era.

Kylie Smith is Associate Professor and Director of the Center for Healthcare History and Policy in the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, and Associate Faculty in the History Department, at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Her new book entitled “Jim Crow in the Asylum: Psychiatry and Civil Rights in the American South” has just been published.

Register 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.

March 21st - Waltham, MA

The focus of the conference will be “Preparing Health Care Teams: Meeting the Present and Preparing for the Future,” and will feature Dr. Ashish Jha as the keynote speaker.

The MMS would like to invite members of VMS and your staff team to join us for a day of in-person learning and professional networking. The attached flyer includes some basic information about the program and a dedicated discount code (FHB26NE) your members may use to register at the MMS member rate.

For more information or to register for the conference, please visit: futurehealthbest.org

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

Vermont Medical Society

PO Box 153

Williamstown, VT 05679

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