May 13, 2025

NEED TO KNOW

VMS Launches New Physician Leadership Development Course - Apply Today!

The Vermont Medical Society is pleased to announce that we are now partnering with the University of Vermont Professional and Continuing Education (PACE) unit to offer a new statewide physician leadership development course beginning in September 2025 and running until March 2026.   The course is designed to empower physician leaders across Vermont with the skills, knowledge, practical experience, and networking opportunities needed to foster effective team success. 

See the course information and FAQs here.

VMS is now accepting interested applicants!

Applicants submit a brief statement of interest in the course and a CV. Apply here. Applications are due July 1, 2025. If there are more interested candidates than seats, VMS will select participants with the goal of wide representation from practice types, specialties and locations.  (Please note, UVM Health Network physicians should apply separately  - learn more here.)

Key dates:

  • Applications due July 1, 2025
  • Selected candidates informed by July 18, 2025
  • Registration and $3400 in tuition due by August 22, 2025
  • Course begins September 12, 2025, in-person at Topnotch, Stowe

Contact Stephanie Winters at swinters@vtmd.org with questions. 

Legislature Gives Primary Care a Seat at the Table

Last Friday, the House and Senate Budget Conferees signed off on a State Fiscal Year 2026 (July 2025-June 2026) budget agreement.  The final agreement includes:

  • $4.4 million in state funds to continue Medicare-funded Blueprint for Health programs (funding the full need);
  • $3.95 million in “bridge funding” for primary care programs currently funded by OneCare Vermont (out of a full need of $5.5 million);
  • An increase in Medicaid rates for FQHCs;
  • Start-up funding for the Maple Mountain Residency Program, contingent on more information regarding whether these funds can be matched by the federal government.

Thanks to everyone's consistent advocacy and support throughout both the House and Senate Appropriations process, we were not only successful in getting needed funding for primary care delivery, but we have also cultivated new primary care champions who see the value of investing in primary care workforce development. Both the House and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairs, who said many times there was no funding for new programs this year, prioritized funding all 4 years of the Maple Mountain Residency Program. This program funding is currently contingent as there is some question of whether the State would be able to receive federal matching funds to fully fund the first year. The Budget includes language requiring the Agency of Human Services (AHS) to report back to the Legislature on the potential for federal funds in July 2025 and if the match is there, the program funding will be released. Thanks to all who lifted up the value of this program - your voice was heard! 

Also, last week, the House Health Care Committee passed out their draft of S.126, the health reform/transformation bill, which now includes the creation of a 16-member Comprehensive Primary Care Steering Committee. The intention behind creating this Steering Committee is to include the voice of primary care on the front end of health reform, rather than an afterthought. The Committee's charge is to inform the work of State government, including the Blueprint for Health and the Office of Health Care Reform in AHS, as it relates to access to, delivery of, and payment for primary care services in Vermont. The Steering Committee's first meeting will be called by the Director of the Blueprint for Health by September 1. 2025 and will be made up of sixteen members, including a physician selected by VMS, the president of the Vermont Academy of Family Physicians and the President of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Vermont Chapter. This bill will be heard on the House floor this week and will likely go into conference committee to iron out changes with the Senate. 

Health Care Costs Continue to Dominate Legislative Discussions

As outlined above, last week the House Health Care Committee wrapped up their work on S. 126, a comprehensive “health care transformation” bill.  In addition to adding the Primary Care Steering Committee, the Committee also added several sections requiring AHS and hospitals to more immediately address the costs of health care. 

New Section 11a of the bill calls on AHS to work with hospitals to identify ways to reduce hospital spending for hospital fiscal year 2026 by not less than 2.5 percent.  This amounts to a $100 million reduction, or half of the amount the Green Mountain Care Board has cited as necessary to keep a 2026 Blue Cross Blue Shield premium increase to 5% rather than 20%. 

The bill also calls on more reports from AHS regarding how they are meeting the health care transformation goals of Act 167 of 2022, including reducing inefficiencies, lowering costs, improving health outcomes,  and increasing access to essential services.

The bill comes at the same time that insurers have just filed their proposed rates for 2026.  As announced today by the Green Mountain Care Board, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont has requested a 23.3% rate increase for their individual plans and a 13.7% increase for the small group market.   MVP has requested a 6.2% increase for the individual market and a 7.5% small group market increase.  The proposed rates for the individual market reflect increases due to the anticipated loss of federal enhanced premium tax credits.  The full filings (BCBSVT here; MVP here) provide more details regarding the assumptions leading to these proposed increases, including increases in utilization, cost of services and cost of pharmaceuticals. 

GMCB has scheduled public rate review hearings for:

  • BlueCross and BlueShield on Monday, July 21 at 8:00 a.m.
  • MVP on Wednesday, July 23 at 8:00 a.m.

GMCB is also accepting public comments on these filings on an ongoing basis through July 28, 2025 and a Public Comment Forum will be held on Thursday, July 24 at 4:00 p.m.

The media has covered the intersection between Blue Cross Blue Shield’s financial challenges and legislative calls for hospitals to reduce costs here and here.

House Energy & Commerce Committee Begins Mark Up of Medicaid Cuts

The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee will be marking up Medicaid Budget Reconciliation legislation today, May 13, and Wednesday, May 14.  A summary is available here.   Estimates from the Congressional Budget Office requested by Democrats show that the proposal would cut at least $715 billion from health care and at least 8.6 million people will lose their coverage.  Read more analyses here and here.  While avoiding some of the most drastic proposals under consideration, the proposal would, among other things:

  • Add a work requirement of at least 80 hours per month for individuals aged 19-64, with some exceptions;
  • Require cost sharing for certain Medicaid populations;
  • Reduce federal matching funds to states that provide state-based coverage to individuals without documented immigration status, such as Vermont;
  • Limit retroactive coverage for those newly enrolling in Medicaid to 30 days vs the current 90 days;
  • Prohibit coverage for gender transition procedures to minors; and
  • Set a moratorium on new or increased provider taxes, which are used to draw down federal matching funds.

MISC.

Reminder: Free Technical Assistance Offering for Vermont Primary Care Practices – Apply by May 23rd

The Blueprint for Health has been working with AHS Health Care Reform, DVHA, VMS, Health First, BiState, GMCB, and other stakeholders to help identify the need for and design interventions to support primary care practices. We know that primary care providers and Vermonters are concerned about:

  • Keeping practices open for business
  • Getting and/ or keeping access to primary care for all Vermonters
  • Staffing practices adequately and providing team-based care
  • Keeping pace with the investments and changes needed for a changing healthcare landscape.

What is the Focus of Technical Assistance from RHRC to Primary Care Practices?

As a part of AHS’s health system transformation efforts, AHS has engaged the Rural Health Redesign Center (RHRC) to provide technical assistance to hospitals and primary care practices, free of charge.  Practices can apply for free consultative services provided by the RHRC to address the following areas:

  • Financial Health 
  • Population Health and Access 
  • Team-Based Care Staffing
  • Digital Transformation


What will a Primary Care Practice Receive for Participating in Technical Assistance?

At the completion of technical assistance, practices can expect to walk away with one or more of the following:

  • Defined strategy to enable their practice to understand and respond to changing healthcare landscape
  • Strengthened care delivery models
  • Strengthened financial management and fiscal governance functions of the organization 
  • Identified opportunities to sustain or enhance/increase practice capacity to serve patients requiring primary care services. 

How and when will Practices Receive this Technical Assistance?

Practices will need to complete a referral form by Friday, May 23, 2025. Technical assistance projects will occur between June 2025 – December 2025.

  • The referral form includes a practice self-assessment and space to indicate general requests for technical assistance
  • Submission of the referral form will prompt a discovery call between RHRC and the practice to refine needs, goals, and organizational capability to engage in Technical Assistance
  • If demand exceeds expected resources that have been allocated, AHS and RHRC will be reviewing and prioritizing proposed projects. 

Complete the referral form today on your own or with assistance from the Blueprint for Health Program Manager and/or Quality Improvement Facilitator to start the conversation with the Rural Health Redesign Center to determine if and how they best can support your organization.

PlanWell - Planning for Retirement Webinar


Join PlanWell for a Planning for Retirement webinar on Tuesday, May 20th at 5pm. 

Retirement is often the first thing we think about when we talk about our overall

financial well-being. In this workshop, you will learn the basics of retirement planning

and what strategies you can use to secure your plan. We’ll cover how to envision your retirement, how to build your retirement strategy, different sources of retirement

income, and key risks to consider.


View the flyer for the event here and register here

EVENTS

 
2025 Primary Care Conference: Empowering a Resilient Primary Care Workforce
May 21st - 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM

Lake Morey Resort
82 Clubhouse Road
Fairlee, VT

Register Here


Save the Date Spring 2025 Palliative Care Series

May 22, 2025 from 12pm - 1:15pm

The Rocky Road of Goals of Care Conversations: Not "One and Done"

Topics to be covered in upcoming sessions:

  • Transitions of Care
  • Symptom Management & the use of Opioids
  • Choosing to Stop Eating and Drinking
  • Medical Aid in Dying
Dates for Sessions 2 - 5, speakers, titles and CME/CEU information coming soon!

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

VTMD.ORG

Vermont Medical Society

134 Main Street

Montpelier, VT 05602

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