Vermont 2009 Health Policy Priorities

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• FY 2010 Budget
• Paid Sick Days
• Palliative Care
• Nutrition

The Vermont legislature finalized its FY2010 budget in late May and the Governor vetoed it on June 2, 2009. The legislature overrode the Governor's veto.  Highlights from the legislature's budget are below.

• The legislature reduced the Governor's proposed provider rate cut for contracted services from 4% to 2%.  Even with this reduction, the rate cut will still impact a long list of providers including mental health providers, rehabilitation and children's service providers in high-risk programs, case managers, parent educators, and sign language interpreters.
• The final budget directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to cut grants and contracts up to $425,000 for the Department of Children and Families.  The language provides certain criteria for the Secretary to make these cuts.
• Due to requirements in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Governor rescinded his proposal to increase premiums in the Dr. Dynasaur program and the legislature maintained this.  Even though CHIP programs were not subject to the requirements of ARRA, no cost-sharing or eligibility changes were enacted.

• This bill (H 382) would allow employees to accrue a maximum number of paid hours annually (56 hours for full time employees) so that they can take paid time off from work to attend to the health care and safety needs of themselves or a family member.
• The legislature did not report this bill out of Committee and Vermont advocates are developing strategies to move this bill next session.     

More Information: The Time Argus

• The House and Senate passed a bill (H 435) that would improve the quality of and expand access to palliative care and pain management services for children and adults. 
• It includes a provision that would direct the Secretary of Human Services to consider the costs and effects of a Medicaid waiver to provide eligible children who have serious medical conditions with concurrent palliative and curative care services.
• The Governor signed this bill on May 18, 2009.

• Several bills were filed this session relative to child nutrition, including a bill (H 311) that would increase funding to three separate child nutrition programs. This bill was not reported out of Committee.          
• Another bill (H 408) includes several provisions having to do with Vermont's Food Stamp Program.  The bill would raise the gross income limit for eligibility and eliminate the asset test for the program.  It is estimated that up to 30,000 more Vermonters would become eligible as a result of this and other proposed changes. The bill also did not pass out of Committee.

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