Healthcare crisis in Vermont ACT 167 reports in the Media

Good morning Vermont NPs,  

 I want to take a moment to address the media reports about the healthcare crisis in Vermont.  This report was the result of  Act 167, in 2022. The charge from the Legislature was:

 "This act requires the Director of Health Care Reform in the Agency of Human Services (AHS), in collaboration with the Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB), to develop a proposal for a subsequent All-Payer Model agreement with the federal government to secure Medicare’s continued participation in multipayer alternative payment models in Vermont.  The act also directs the GMCB, in collaboration with AHS, to develop value-based payments for hospitals and to develop and conduct a stakeholder engagement process for Vermont’s hospitals that will reduce inefficiencies, lower costs, improve population health outcomes, reduce health inequities, and increase access to essential services."

I do not want to fill your inboxes with a lot of information. What I will share, and I'm open to answering any questions, is that VNPA has been actively involved over the course of the last year and a half with Oliver Wyman, the consulting group that put this report together. VNPA has had one-on-one meetings with them and at least seven of the community meetings were attended by a member of the board of VNPA.  

This report is tailored to hospitals. It touches on primary care because there are FQHCs and organizations that have their primary care associated with their hospital in some towns, specifically Rutland, Randolph, and Springfield. The relationship between the FQHC/ primary care and the hospital in each of these three towns is very different and, in some cases, has changed during the report's time. The UVM network and the DH networks also operate differently.  

What I can tell you is that, based on my meetings with Owen Foster, the chair of the Green Mountain care board, Dr. Hamory from the Oliver Wyman Group, and the director of AHS, I'll support that this will not affect primary care. (yet)

I firmly believe that the next area of focus should be primary patient care. It's crucial that providers across all scopes of practice, including your vital role as APRNs, come together to ensure the best possible care for our patients. Your contribution is integral to this collaborative effort and will be paramount this legislative session as the House and Senate tear this report apart and start to make changes.

Please consider discussing the potential upcoming changes with your colleagues at the conference (Registration is now open) this year and starting to assist VNPA with a plan to support APRNs across the disciplines.   

Michelle