Current News

Vermont Business Magazine At a meeting on March 15, the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board awarded $731,500 in VHCB funding, $127,500 in federal funds, and $1,130,000 in Housing Revenue Bond funds for the development of 24 new homes in St Albans, predevelopment work on a neighborhood revitalization project in Windsor, and a pilot program to support the development of accessory apartments in Burlington. Additionally, 250 acres of farmland will be conserved in Orange and Chittenden Counties, and 287 acres of forestland in Dummerston with public access for hunting and walking will be conserved.

Vermont Business Magazine The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) recently released its 2018 Enforcement Report, which details how DEC responded to citizen complaints and summarizes how the Department enforced environmental regulations to protect Vermonters and the lands and waters of the state. “Last year, DEC received over 2,700 complaints of alleged environmental harm. We investigate every complaint our division receives,” said Kim Greenwood, Director of the Environmental Compliance Division for DEC. “Citizens reporting alleged violations to DEC are a critical source of information and we take those complaints seriously. Whether you’re sure there’s a violation or only suspect it, call us and one of our Environmental Enforcement Officers will investigate it.”

Vermont Business Magazine Late yesterday, the House passed legislation introduced by Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vermont) that closes a loophole in the Medicaid program benefiting drug companies. The loophole allows the companies to minimize drug discounts they are required to provide to state and federal Medicaid programs. Welch’s legislation was included in the Medicaid Services Investment and Accountability Act, a package of bills aimed at improving the Medicaid program. It was unanimously approved by the House.

by John McClaughry The House Health Care Committee has brought out a bill (H.524) that at best has nothing to recommend it, and at worst, would make Vermont’s health care situation worse for thousands of innocent people. The main impetus for this bill seems to be the determination of Chairman William Lippert (D-Hinesburg) to defeat, in Vermont, any effort by Republicans in Washington to relax some of the restrictive and compulsory features of the Affordable Care Act of 2010.

A key feature of the ACA was a mandate to purchase Federally-approved health insurance, enforced by taxing persons for not buying such insurance. The penalty tax was the greater of $695 or 2% of household income. This was so unpopular that the Obama administration created fourteen classes of exemptions, including vaguely defined “hardship”, to keep from having to levy its own tax on vulnerable families.

Vermont Business Magazine Catamount Connections, RiseVT, and Southwestern Vermont Health Care, along with Anytime Fitness, are working with the Vermont Blueprint for Health to entice those who smoke to attend the Blueprint’s quit-smoking program. A new FreshStart Tobacco Cessation Class is scheduled 5:30 – 7 p.m. Thursdays, April 4, 11, 18, and 25 at Catamount Connections, 504 Main Street, Suite 1 in Bennington.

Developed by the American Cancer Society and associated with Vermont Quit Partners and 802 Quits, the 4-week session will provide all of the educational material as previous sessions, including an opportunity to learn the facts about tobacco, find new ways to quit, get free nicotine replacement, and meet others interested in quitting.

Vermont Business Magazine The Phoenix, a national non-profit organization dedicated to fostering supportive active communities for individuals in recovery from a substance use disorder, announced today the expansion of their Phoenix Rising Program in Barre and Hyde Park, Vermont. As of March 13, Strength Training classes are held every Wednesday from 5:00-6:00 pm at WellSpace at 23 Summer Street in Barre. CrossFit classes are set to start Saturday, April 13 and held weekly at 11:00am-12:00pm at Green Mountain CrossFit at 576 E Main St., Hyde Park, Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine On April 1, Daniel Franklin will officially become executive director of North Central Vermont Recovery Center. Franklin started at NCVRC in March of 2018 as the operations manager, and was promoted to assistant director in September. In a little more than a year, Franklin has been a driving force in a significant expansion of the recovery center’s services and programs by adding health and wellness offerings, a music program, more groups and workshops, and harm reduction services provided by Vermont Cares.

Vermont Business Magazine The Department of Financial Regulation (DFR) is actively monitoring the circumstances relating to healthcare provider payment delays that appear to have resulted from implementation of BlueCross BlueShield of Vermont’s (BCBSVT) new claims payment system. DFR has been working with affected providers and BCBSVT to understand the scope of the problem and ensure it will be resolved quickly.

The delay in payments results from certain claims being held and evaluated individually by BCBSVT rather than being automatically processed, as well as some ongoing technical issues.

BCBSVT has reported to DFR that approximately 580,000 – or approximately 90% – of claims made since January 1, 2019 have been properly adjudicated. Further, BCBSVT is required to pay 12% interest on claims not paid within 30 days, and to date has remitted approximately $109,000 of interest to healthcare providers. 

Vermont Business Magazine BioTek Instruments is very pleased to announce receipt of the 2019 Governor’s Excellence in Worksite Wellness Award - GOLD Level, bestowed by the Vermont Department of Health and the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. The honor was presented at the 2019 Worksite Wellness Conference, held March 21 in Burlington.

Vermont Business Magazine Howard Center has been named the recipient of the National Council for Behavioral Health’s 2019 Excellence in Addictions Treatment Award. Selected from 230 nominations from across the country, the award will be presented to Howard Center in Nashville, Tennessee, during the Awards of Excellence Celebration in conjunction with the National Council Conference – NatCon19.

The National Council for Behavioral Health’s Awards of Excellence recognize and honor individuals and organizations in behavioral health care for their ingenuity, hard work and dedication to improving the lives of Americans living with mental illnesses and addictions.

Vermont Business Magazine For the second year, Vermont Gas’ (VGS) efforts to increase overall worksite and employee wellness is being recognized. The Vermont Department of Health and the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness selected VGS for an Excellence in Worksite Wellness award.

Vermont Business Magazine With the help of almost two hundred generous donors and community support, the Intervale Center is pleased to announce the completion of Celebrate Intervale, a $1 million capital campaign to increase the productivity, accessibility and beauty of the Intervale. The Intervale Center, a food and farming non-profit, manages 340 acres of open space in the heart of Burlington, VT for agriculture, conservation and recreation.