Sen. Ginny Lyons D-Chittenden Southeast plays a crucial role as the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare chair. In February 2024, she questioned Green Mountain Care Board Chair Owen Foster and Secretary of Human Services Jenney Samuelson about a consultant's report recommending sweeping changes to the state's health care system. This report, issued by Oliver Wyman in September, proposed a broad redesign including hospital consolidations and investments in rural areas.

Key Challenges and Proposed Reforms

Vermont's aging population has made its health care system increasingly unsustainable. Private health insurance premiums are among the highest and fastest-growing in the country, and many hospitals and clinics operate at a loss. Appointments for primary and specialty care are scarce. The consultant's report offered a series of recommendations to address these issues.

Lawmakers are now working on legislation to simplify the approval process for new health care facilities, which is notoriously costly and time-consuming. Sen. Lyons is leading this effort with another senator. She also plans to examine the compatibility of hospitals' and clinics' electronic medical records systems and may introduce a bill to start the discussion.

Rep. Lori Houghton, the outgoing chair of the House Health Care Committee, mentioned that emergency medical services will be a focus in the upcoming session. Some reforms are already in process, such as those signed by Gov. Phil Scott last spring. However, there is still more work to be done to make the transformation quicker.

Hospital and Health System Perspectives

Devon Green, a lobbyist for the Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems, supports many of the proposals from Lyons and Houghton. She emphasized that hospitals are already making changes in response to the report and want to work in partnership with other healthcare providers and state leaders.

Despite the efforts, not all of the consultancy's recommendations are being considered. Some proposals, such as limiting hospital billing and ending certain procedures, are outside the Legislature's purview or would lead to intense battles.

Regulatory and Cost Considerations

Sen. Lyons also wants to reexamine health care regulation in the state, echoing a bill she backed in the 2024 session. She believes there is a need to address regulatory gaps and clarify who is in charge of what. As the cost of health care continues to rise, lawmakers need to assess the effectiveness of earlier initiatives.

Houghton agreed that there is little the Legislature can do in the short term to make care and insurance more affordable. However, a concerted effort is needed to understand how existing programs are working and make necessary adjustments.

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