Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB) directed Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont (BCBSVT) and MVP Health Plan, Inc. (MVP) to adjust their proposed 2025 premiums for individuals and small businesses, affecting over 70,000 Vermonters. The final approved rates were historically high and reflected concerns that the insurers, which are the only ones covering small groups and individuals in Vermont, could face insolvency if their reserves were not sufficiently funded. To that point, both Blue Cross Vermont and MVP increased their requests before the final GMCB review. The regulators, as they typically do, adjusted down the final requests somewhat and approved a Blue Cross increase in premiums of 22.8% for their small group customers and 19.8% for individuals. MVP was approved for 11.1% for the small group rate and 14.2% for individuals.

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Office announced that Jason Benn, 35, of Derby, Vermont, was arraigned today on one felony count of Luring a Child and one felony count of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material. Mr. Benn is alleged to have engaged in sexually explicit conversations with a 13-year-old child. That child disclosed the conversations to a third party, who then made a report to law enforcement. VT-ICAC also received a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children relating to a suspect uploading a file of child sexual abuse material to Snapchat. Based on the criminal investigation of that tip, Mr. Benn was identified as a suspect. Mr. Benn pleaded not guilty at the arraignment today in Vermont Superior Court, Orleans Criminal Division.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine For the week ending August 3, the Vermont Department of Health reported that the number of COVID-19 cases in Vermont remains much higher than in the spring, but related deaths have been low. COVID fatalities are at 1,161 since the beginning of the pandemic over four years ago. The weekly report also shows that hospitalizations and general "syndromic" cases remain low but have increased somewhat in the last few weeks to about 10 people being treated at a Vermont hospital each week. The number of COVID cases is elevated and there were 236 cases reported last week. Cases had been falling in April and May and were as low as 31 at the beginning of May. Along with the case numbers, wastewater monitoring has shown spikes in virus in Burlington and Montpelier.

Vermont Business Magazine Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, today released the following statement calling on Prasco Laboratories and GlaxoSmithKline to immediately cap the cost of the authorized generic of Flovent – the most commonly prescribed inhaler for children – at $35.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Arts Council announces more than $375,000 in grants to fund public art projects and improve cultural facilities across Vermont. “Investing in our state’s cultural infrastructure and incorporating art into the public places where Vermonters gather provides many cultural, social, and economic benefits to a community. We are proud to support these important projects, which both demonstrate the power of art in humanizing our public places and reaffirm the richness of our cultural heritage,” said Vermont Arts Council Executive Director Susan Evans McClure.

Vermont Business Magazine Tri-Valley Transit (TVT) reached a major milestone early this summer, providing its 5,000,000^th ride since the organization’s founding in 1976. This benchmark includes riders boarding public bus routes, taking Dial-a-Ride trips, and those receiving specialized transportation services. TVT surpassed 200,000 rides in Fiscal Year 2024 for the first time since the COVID pandemic, as more people return to using public transportation and ridership continues to grow.

Vermont Business Magazine Local and health system-wide investments in care and treatment for patients across Vermont and northern New York who suffer from a collection of rare, progressive and deadly heart-and-lung related conditions have earned University of Vermont Medical Center’s Pulmonary Hypertension Program national accreditation as a Pulmonary Hypertension Care Center (PHCC) – a designation that highlights the program’s clinical excellence and will improve access to national clinical trials and support groups for patients across the rural region served by the hospital.

Vermont Business Magazine Recently published findings from the VA Disrupted Care National Project (DCNP) revealed the number of vascular surgeries performed across the United States continued to decline even after large drops during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research study was published in the Annals of Vascular Surgery, investigating how the pandemic has impacted patients’ ability to receive critical care for blood vessel problems. The White River Junction VA Medical Center led a multi-institutional team of researchers to analyze 21,031 vascular surgeries of three common procedures from 2019 to 2023 using Medicare claim data. There was a dramatic drop of 47% at the beginning of the pandemic, but while rates of care recovered partially another drop of 34% occurred during the Omicron wave of the pandemic in early 2022.

Vermont Business Magazine For National Breastfeeding Month in August, Mamava and Medela are sharing the results of the annual State of Breastfeeding Survey. The industry-leading brands surveyed nearly 7,000 parents to learn more about breastfeeding journeys, challenges and support systems. Survey findings emphasize a critical need for increased access to breastfeeding support and infrastructure in workplaces and public spaces. According to the CDC, breastfeeding provides many health benefits for both babies and mothers. Despite federal and professional guidelines that recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of an infant’s life, 60% of mothers do not breastfeed as long as they intend to. 

Vermont Business Magazine On September 13, 2024, the annual Vermont Suicide Prevention Symposium will return to an in-person format in Randolph - promoting learning, hope, and action on this critical issue for all Vermonters. The day-long conference on the Vermont State University Randolph campus will include presentations, workshops, and networking opportunities featuring leading voices in the field from Vermont, New England, and beyond. The focus of the event is equitable, sustainable, and comprehensive suicide prevention education with sessions designed for mental health clinicians, peer support workers, advocates & families, individuals with lived experience, healthcare providers, educators, and community members. 

Vermont Business Magazine Brattleboro Retreat (Brattleboro, VT) has signed to deploy MEDITECH’s Expanse EHR using the company’s cloud-hosted MEDITECH as a Service model. This private, not-for-profit, psychiatric hospital offers comprehensive services designed to meet the mental health needs of its rural and urban communities. The MaaS subscription-based platform will enable Brattleboro Retreat to expand its services by offering an innovative, mobile, and scalable solution. The Brattleboro Retreat team will work with MEDITECH to connect communities and reshape access to mental health services. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Mental Health (DMH) has secured an extension to continue the Starting Over Strong Vermont flood recovery outreach program. This initiative, staffed by trained outreach workers, provides anonymous, free support including resource referrals and education. Other services include group and individual sessions focused on stress management techniques and coping strategies for disaster recovery. The extension is designed to help individuals affected by the July 2023 flooding who may be experiencing an increase in mental health impacts due to recent flooding events. Starting Over Strong Vermont is designed to reduce barriers to accessing mental health support through strengths-based, short-term assistance tailored to the unique needs of those affected by disasters. Program staff are available to provide both door-to-door outreach and through events at community locations, offering individual and group assistance.