Current News

Vermont Unemployment Rate Rises to 4.4 percent in September The Vermont Department of Labor announced today that the seasonally-adjusted statewide unemployment rate for September 2014 was 4.4 percent. This represents an increase of three-tenths of a percent from the revised August rate (4.1 percent). The increase was driven by both an increase in the number of unemployed and a decrease in the number of employed. The equivalent national average was 5.9 percent, which decreased by two-tenths of a percent from the previous month’s estimate. This is the fourth monthly increase to the statewide unemployment rate in Vermont in the past year. Vermont ranks seventh nationally and is no longer the lowest in New England, as New Hampshire's rate fell to 4.3 percent.

US Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) announced today that the Department of Veterans Affairs will begin accepting applications for college scholarships for surviving spouses of service members who died in the line of duty. Sanders worked hard to get the provision in the recently-passed veterans bill. He urged all eligible spouses to take advantage of it.

Until the law was changed this summer, the Post 9/11 GI Bill had offered scholarships to children of those who died in the line of duty but not their widows or widowers. Now, eligible spouses may be entitled to full tuition for up to 36 months plus a stipend to cover the cost of housing, books and supplies.

by Morgan True vtdigger.org Until the current Ebola outbreak in West Africa is contained there will be some risk of a patient with the virus coming in contact with Vermont’s health care system, but that risk is “very small,” according to state health officials.

The recent cases in Dallas illustrate Ebola can reach the U.S., and state officials are taking precautions seriously despite the low likelihood of an outbreak.

Condé Nast Traveler announced today the results of its 27^th Annual Readers’ Choice Awards, recognizing Hotel Vermont in Burlington as #14 in the 25 Best Hotels in the US. More than 76,600 dedicated readers cast votes for 7,721 hotels, 642 cities, 453 cruise ships, and 148 islands, with an average survey time of 16.5 minutes. The result? The 1,182 best travel experiences in the world.

Hotel Vermont.

by Rob Roper There is some confusion out there, particularly among seniors, about what will happen to Medicare if Vermont adopts the single payer healthcare program, Green Mountain Care. Does the state intend to “take over” Medicare? On the heels of this question getting some necessary public attention from Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Dan Feliciano, the single payer advocacy organization Vermont Leads posted, “Just in case you've seen this… you should understand the state has no desire (or ability) to take over Medicare.” Robin Lunge, the Shumlin Administration’s Director of Health Care Reform, was quoted as saying, "It's never been our intention to take away or reduce people's Medicare benefits.” (VT Digger, 10/7/14)
These statements range from dishonest to misleading.

The foundation of evidence-based research has eroded and the trend must be reversed so patients and clinicians can make wise shared decisions about their health, say Dartmouth researchers in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. Doctors Glyn Elwyn and Elliott Fisher of The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy & Clinical Practice are authors of the report, which highlights five major problems set against a backdrop of “obvious corruption.” They say there is a dearth of transparent research and a low quality of evidence synthesis; and, the difficulty of obtaining research funding for comparative effectiveness studies is directly related to the prominence of industry-supported trials. “Finance dictates the activity.”

The annual open enrollment period for State employees to choose among medical plans begins November 1. Human Resources Commissioner Maribeth Spellman announced today that the plans will see a 17.9 percent premium increase in 2015 for active State employees and non-Medicare retirees, while Medicare retirees will see a decrease or very small increase (-2.3 percent or +1.0 percent) depending on their plan.

The increase for active employees is driven primarily by significantly greater than expected high cost claims experience beginning in the 3rd quarter of 2013, which correlates with increased inpatient utilization, including hospital admissions and days spent in the hospital.

A new program at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) is attracting podiatry students from across the country who want to train with an outstanding medical staff in a rural hospital. The new podiatry surgical residency program, which launched earlier this year, began with two recent graduates, Dr Vu Nguyen from Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, CA, and Dr Michael Banh from Kent State University in Kent, Ohio.

The two newly minted podiatrists will work closely during their three-year stint with Dr William Sarchino, the program director. Dr. Sarchino is a local podiatrist based in Bennington and Greenwich, N.Y. He is a member of American Podiatric Medical Association, a fellow of the American Academy of Wound Healing, and is the president of the American College of Lower Extremity Surgeons. Sarchino, who has taught in England and holds a medical license there, also is a well-known author of scientific papers on podiatric surgery.

American Beer Day returns on October 27th to honor the nation’s favorite cold beverage and celebrate US brewers who have perfected their craft from coast to coast. To help guide thirsty patriots as they seek to imbibe, Roomkey.com has listed its top destinations for craft beer, from Portland, Oregon to Burlington, Vermont. Each brew city on the list boasts exceptional breweries, offering locals and travelers alike the opportunity to enjoy uniquely American creations.

Roomkey.com’s top seven craft beer destinations are:

Burlington, VT

This sleepy college town has the most breweries per capita with just over two dozen filling the area. Magic Hat Brewing Company is one of the most recognized, and is a great place to check out beer being brewed.

Denver, CO

Vermont will receive $90,000 from Lead Concepts, Inc, a company based in Grapevine, Texas, that generated leads for insurance agents by sending direct mailings to Vermonters, many of them elderly, asking them to return postcards with their age and spouse’s name and age, without explaining how the information would be used. Such activity is a violation of state and federal law. Under the settlement, Lead Concepts will pay the State $90,000 and be required to clearly disclose the purpose of its mailings in the future.

According to Attorney General William Sorrell, the settlement reflects his commitment to ensuring that personal information is not obtained for commercial reasons from seniors and other Vermonters without their informed consent. “Privacy is a core value in Vermont, and I will vigorously enforce the law to protect it,” he said.

by Timothy McQuiston Vermont Business Magazine IBM (NYSE: IBM) and GLOBALFOUNDRIES today announced that they have signed a Definitive Agreement under which GLOBALFOUNDRIES plans to acquire IBM's global commercial semiconductor technology business, including intellectual property, workers and technologies related to IBM Microelectronics, subject to completion of applicable regulatory reviews. IBM will pay GLOBALFOUNDRIES $1.5 billion and in return receive some service contracts. The deal includes the Vermont plant in Essex Junction and essentially all of its employees. Governor Peter Shumlin said that he has spoken with GLOBALFOUNDRIES officials and they have told him they plan to keep the plant and employees as is.

The Vermont Technology Alliance, an industry trade group representing Vermont’s tech businesses, is proud to announce the finalists of the 2014 Vermont Tech Jam Awards, sponsored by Merchants Bank. There are two awards: The Innovation Award is presented to the individual or business with the most innovative new product, application of technology, or way of doing business. The Ambassador Award is presented to an individual or business whose leadership and actions positively represent Vermont as a home for technology business, and whose efforts help put Vermont “on the map” as a place for technology businesses to start, succeed and grow. Tech Jam is October 24 and 25 , held at Memorial Auditorium in Burlington, and is free to attend.