Current News

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), a member of the Senate Rules Committee, today joined U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch, U.S. Senator Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), and 25 Senate Democrats in introducing the Anti-Cash Grab Act, legislation that will repeal a provision—quietly added into the Senate government funding bill at the last minute—that allows Senators to collect $500,000 for every phone record lawfully obtained.

Vermont Business Magazine Fewer Americans plan to hit the road for Thanksgiving this year, even as gas prices remain near the lowest holiday level since the pandemic, according to GasBuddy, North America’s trusted fuel savings platform for more than 25 years. GasBuddy forecasts a national average price of gas of $3.02 per gallon on Thanksgiving Day, matching last year and marking one of the cheapest holiday averages since 2021. GasBuddy’s 2025 Thanksgiving Travel Survey shows that 60% of Americans plan to take a road trip, a sharp decrease from 72% last year. The decline comes despite stable fuel prices and points to a more home-centered holiday season.

Vermont Business Magazine Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, sent a letter to his Democratic colleagues urging them to come together around common sense health care policies to make health care more affordable and accessible for every American family, in addition to extending the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits.

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-Vermont), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, and Susan Collins (R-Maine) introduced the Comprehensive Alternative Response to Emergencies (CARE) Act, bipartisan legislation that would require the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to test a five-year “treatment-in-place” model in which Medicare reimburses Emergency Medical Service (EMS) providers when they treat a patient outside of the hospital, such as for minor medical incidents, rather than transporting them to a hospital for care.  

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Financial Regulation (DFR) today announced the retirement of Sandy Bigglestone, deputy commissioner of the Captive Insurance Division and one of the most respected leaders globally within the captive insurance industry. Bigglestone officially retires on January 1, 2026, concluding a distinguished career in state government that began in 1997 and helped solidify Vermont’s position as the internationally renowned domicile for captive insurance. As Deputy Commissioner, Bigglestone led the administration and regulation of Vermont’s captive insurance companies and risk retention groups—an industry that has become a cornerstone of Vermont’s financial sector and a model of regulatory excellence worldwide. Under her leadership, the Division earned a reputation for robust oversight, responsive regulation, and a collaborative approach that balanced industry innovation with strong solvency protections. 

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Treasurer Pieciak, NorthCountry Federal Credit Union, and the Department of Corrections announced a new partnership to provide financial education and banking services to incarcerated individuals preparing for reentry. The initiative will help ensure returning citizens can achieve financial stability, supporting a more successful transition back into their communities and strengthening Vermont’s workforce and economy. The program will initially be offered at Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield, VT. The first session took place Friday, November 14, 2025. 

Vermont Business Magazine October brought encouraging signs for the housing market, with home sales up 3.2% compared to October 2024 across 51 metro areas surveyed, according to remax.com. It was the fifth month in 2025 where sales exceeded last year's levels. Month over month, homes sales also increased, rising 1.7% from September defying traditional seasonal dips. The Burlington, Vermont, metro market showed strong increase in inventory and sales, with the third highest increase in median sales price year-over-year.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health reported last week that the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations remain low after an increase in cases that began in August and ran into early fall. Other indicators like wastewater virus show an increase in COVID-19 and Norovirus in Vermont and nationally, while COVID outbreaks also edged higher. 

VermontBiz A first-of-its-kind initiative, funded by a National Institute on Drug Abuse grant, will conduct an ambitious study to better understand trends in drug use and barriers to health care services in New England, including Vermont. The grant will provide approximately $12 million in funding over five years.

Researchers from the University of Vermont Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine, Brown University, the University of California–San Diego Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, and Brown University School of Public Health will evaluate how individuals with substance use disorder in Vermont, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island are impacted by new state programs to prevent HIV, hepatitis C, and overdose syringe services and overdose prevention centers.

VermontBiz In the last few weeks, more than sixty of Vermont’s healthcare leaders gathered centrally at Rutland Regional Medical Center for the Healthcare Leaders Workforce Summit, a pivotal working session to design employer-led education pathways that make it possible for more Vermonters to enter healthcare careers without leaving the state. Across Vermont, hospitals, long-term care facilities, community health and home health providers face critical staffing shortages in essential healthcare occupations: Registered Nursing, Radiologic Technology, Respiratory Therapy, Laboratory Technology, and Surgical Technology. Most of these roles require a two-year associate degree at the community college level and are vital to patient care. When vacancies go unfilled, employers rely on contracted “traveler” staff, often costing up to 2.5 times more than a full-time employee with benefits.

VermontBiz Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice of the Southwest Region (VNAHSR) recently celebrated its annual VNA Week, a dedicated time to honor and appreciate the remarkable staff who embody the organization’s mission of compassionate, high-quality care. The celebration culminated with the annual Employee Recognition Dinner, a special event recognizing team members whose commitment, compassion, and excellence consistently go above and beyond in caring for patients and their families.

During the event, VNAHSR proudly recognized its HEALTH Matters Award winners and honored the Employee of the Year. The HEALTH Matters Awards reflect the organization’s core values—Honesty, Excellence, Accountability, Leadership, Teamwork, and Helpfulness—which serve as guiding principles in fulfilling its mission and vision.

Vermont Business Magazine PCC (Physician's Computer Company), the Burlington-based leader in pediatric software solutions, has announced an AI scribing solution coming in 2026. Developed by PCC with direct input from pediatricians, this innovation will help practices return to what matters most: face time with patients and high quality, convenient documentation. PCC has the tools and unique expertise to create a tailored AI Scribe solution that focuses on workflow efficiency, security, and trust, while providing a path for future AI advancements. PCC's AI Scribe will be directly embedded within PCC EHR, removing the need for third-party tools.