Current News

by Don George, CEO and President of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont All of us Vermonters are worried right now. There is a lot going on. Parents and teachers are struggling with the bleak reality of school during a pandemic. Our downtown businesses are battling to survive with fewer people walking through the door. We miss being surrounded by our friends and family. And health care costs continue to rise at an alarming pace. At Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont, we have always worked diligently to keep our premiums as lean as possible. This year is no different. Unlike many insurers, BCBSVT is a non-profit company and therefore our rates reflect the actual cost of care, and do not have profit margins built in. Unlike many other states, Vermont has stringent health insurance oversight and regulations.

by Joyce Marcel, Vermont Business Magazine A little over a year ago, Xusana Davis was hired by the State of Vermont to do something that more than a few people have called “humanly impossible.” Davis, 31, is the state's first executive director of racial equity. In a state that is approximately 94 percent white, her job is not to undo 400 years of racism; it is not even to bring more diversity to state government. Instead, it is to bring our state government closer to equity — so all Vermonters have equal access to state services. And that alone is a daunting task.

​Vermont State Police On Friday afternoon, Troopers were asked to respond to the Spruce Mountain trailhead in the town of Plainfield to provide assistance to first responders who were already on scene with a female who had fallen from the fire tower on top of the mountain earlier in the day. At approximately 11:43, Waterbury Backcountry, Barre Town Fire Department, Plainfield Fire and Rescue, and East Montpelier Fire Department responded to the fire tower to assist Kelly Houston who had fallen two flights of stairs down the tower while trying to capture a video of the view.

Vermont Business Magazine It's the most wonderful time of the year: mid-August, when retailers nationwide get decked out for the holidays. Among the festive offerings this year are two new snackable, seasonal limited batches by Ben & Jerry's: Gingerbread Cookie Dough Chunks and Cinnamon Bun Dough Chunks. Grab a frozen handful and experience the baking happiness of your winter memories, without having to turn on the oven.

Vermont Business Magazine On Saturday, September 5th Bennington, Vermont will become “Garlic Town, USA” for one day in celebration of all things garlic and agriculture! Bennington has become world-renowned for its annual Garlic and Herb Festival held every year on Labor Day weekend. Last year, the festival saw crowds of over 16,000 patrons and 200 garlic-themed vendors. The Garlic and Herb Festival has been recognized as one of the top 10 garlic festivals in the world, featured in Yankee Magazine and recently was awarded Vermont’s Time-Honored Top 10 Fall Event. Due to the COVID pandemic and Vermont restrictions on festivals, the 25th annual “Garlicfest,” as the event has been affectionately known as, was canceled in early summer.

Vermont Business Magazine The Isham Family Farm is a 5th generation farm owned by Michael Isham and Helen Weston who are a combined 19 generational Vermonters. Mike converted the Williston farm from a dairy operation to now include PYO berries, pumpkins, corn maze, Christmas trees and in 2010 restored a late 1700’s barn into an event space. In 2020 Mike and Helen made the decision to put the farm back into the Farmers Market by hosting a Farmers Market behind their renovated late 1700’s antique barn.

Vermont Business Magazine The Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB) announces its decision regarding Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont’s (BCBSVT) and MVP Health Care’s (MVP) requested rate increases for insurance plans offered through Vermont Health Connect (VHC) in 2021. After a complete review, the Board decided to reduce BCBSVT’s rate request to 4.2% and MVP’s rate request to 2.7%, resulting in a total premium reduction of approximately $18.9 million. The Board denied administrative increases for both companies, while allowing small increases (0.5%) to reserves due to the current uncertainty and increases tied to medical and drug spending.

Vermont Business Magazine Health Commissioner Mark Levine, MD, on Friday spoke about the return of students to college campuses. He noted that a few students have already tested positive. And at least one positive result (a UVM student) came back before the student even left their home state. Levine said that one positive result will not count as a Vermont case, but any out-of-state student who tests positive while in Vermont will count as a positive case in Vermont. As for the relatively high case count reported today (17), Levine said in looking at the data he could not see a relationship between college students beginning to return to Vermont and today's number. Vermont's daily count is around six cases. Vermont has the lowest case count and the fewest cases per capita in the nation.

Vermont Business Magazine Human rights group Migrant Justice has disbursed nearly $200,000 in direct aid to immigrant farmworkers around Vermont. The funds – distributed through the Vermont-based organization’s “Covid Solidarity Fund” – were directed primarily to dairy workers throughout the state who have been excluded from federal stimulus payments and other government support programs. Over 400 immigrant farmworkers and family members received aid payments of $420 each. Migrant Justice created the solidarity fund following the federal government’s issuance this summer of “Economic Impact Payments” – better known as stimulus funds – of $1,200 to most Americans. The program excluded individuals without social security numbers, as well as their spouses and children.

Vermont Business Magazine Burlington Electric Department yesterday was awarded a $550,000 CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant by the Economic Development Administration (EDA) of the US Department of Commerce. The grant will be used to capitalize and administer a new revolving loan fund (RLF) that will complement an existing RLF to provide loans to coronavirus-impacted businesses in Burlington to help them make building ventilation and energy efficiency improvements.

Vermont Business Magazine Republican gubernatorial candidate John Klar from Brookfield has withdrawn his Independent filing to run for Governor in 2020. He said in a statement today that his focus will now be to support the many qualified Republican candidates for office in November, especially those who have stood up with him to focus attention on Vermont’s looming economic problems, particularly its underfunded state pensions system and unsustainably expensive schools.

Klar ran against Governor Phil Scott in the Republican primary and received nearly 13,000 votes or 22.2 percent. Just prior to the primary he said he also would run in the General Election as an Independent.

by Mike Donoghue, Correspondent, Vermont Business Magazine The United States Attorney’s Office announced that today Ariel Quiros, 64, of Key Biscayne, Florida, pleaded guilty before Chief Judge Geoffrey W Crawford in United States District Court in Burlington to three felony charges in connection with his involvement in the Jay Peak Biomedical Research Park EB-5 investment project, also called the AnC Vermont project. Quiros pleaded guilty to conspiring with co-defendants William Kelly, Jong Weon (Alex) Choi, and William Stenger in a multi-year wire fraud scheme to defraud immigrant investors seeking green cards through the EB-5 program.