Current News

by Devon Green, Sr. Vice President of Policy & Strategy, VAHHS VAHHS testified against reinstating prior authorizations, noting that the committee should wait until the required 2027 report to make a decision on a newly implemented policy. VAHHS opposed site-neutral billing. Even using a conservative methodology, site neutral billing would have a $200M impact to hospitals. Furthermore, the proposal would limit much needed flexibility for the Green Mountain Care Board to implement reference-based pricing.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Association for Mental Health and Addiction Recovery (VAMHAR), in collaboration with Recovery Partners of Vermont (RPV), is proud to announce that Recovery Day will take place on February 11, 2026 in Montpelier. This year’s event will bring together people with lived experience, policymakers, providers, advocates, and community members from across the state to advance a shared vision for recovery and the continuum of care in Vermont. The theme of Recovery Day 2026 — Centering People, Connecting Systems — reflects a growing recognition that meaningful recovery-oriented change happens when systems are built around people, not silos. The day will focus on cross-sector collaboration, lived experience leadership, and the policies and practices that help individuals, families, and communities thrive.

Vermont Business Magazine According to the American Lung Association’s 24th annual “State of Tobacco Control” report, released today, Vermont’s grades show that the state must step up efforts to reduce tobacco use to protect communities. Vermont’s action on tobacco control and prevention is especially critical due to the dramatic rollback of federal tobacco prevention efforts in 2025. Tobacco use remains the nation’s leading cause of preventable death and disease, claiming the lives of more than 960 state residents each year. The report urges actions from lawmakers to strengthen tobacco control enforcement by improving retailer licensing, expanding on prevention and cessation programs and protecting our youth from tobacco.

Vermont Business Magazine The Steps to End Domestic Violence team in Burlington has announced that Lizzy Lyons is their new Executive Director. Lyons has been doing trauma-informed work in Vermont for nearly two decades. She has most recently supported Vermont children and youth as a program director at the Vermont Network and we are more than excited to welcome her to our team here at Steps! In her free time, Lizzy spending time in nature with her family, reading at home and wants to complete her personal goal of visiting every national park.

Vermont Business Magazine Howard Center has launched its Military and Veteran Program, a new initiative designed to support active service members, veterans, and their families. The program offers individualized counseling, care management, crisis intervention, and connection to community resources to help members navigate the challenges of reintegration, recovery, and wellness. Services are tailored to meet each member’s needs, ensuring they receive compassionate and effective care in a supportive environment. ALL veterans are welcome regardless of discharge status.

Vermont Business Magazine Southern Vermont Area Health Education Center (AHEC) is now accepting applications for its College Student Health Internship Program (CSHIP), offering paid, 100-hour summer internships for college students interested in public and community health. The CSHIP program provides students with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience working on meaningful, project-based initiatives with Vermont community and health organizations. Internships will take place during June, July, and August 2026 and are primarily remote, allowing students from across the state to participate while making a real impact in Vermont communities.

Vermont Business Magazine Saint Michael’s College recently received a $1 million gift from an anonymous donor to launch a special current-use scholarship initiative designed to make tuition more affordable for students and their families. This transformative gift directly supports the College’s expanded financial aid initiatives, which were recently introduced to increase access and affordability. “This gift has already generated another $3 million in donations from former and current trustees, alumni, and friends of the College,” said Ellen Kane, Vice President for Advancement and Communications."

Vermont Business Magazine The Richards Group, an IMA Company, has acquired the Burlington Insurance Agency of Colchester (BIA). A partnership with The Richards Group will benefit existing BIA clients by ensuring that decisions and service remain local for years to come, while expanding client services and resources. BIA’s staff will remain at their current office, located at 1241 Prim Road, Colchester, VT. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Vermont Business Magazine Brook Field Service of Northfield has partnered with Kohler Generators to support Vermonters facing food insecurity. The companies presented a $10,000 donation to the Vermont Foodbank on January 29, 2026. Owner Jim Brochhausen of Brook Field Service launched the promotion after seeing the impact of recent federal funding cuts and SNAP disruptions related to government shutdowns. He reached out to Kohler Generators, who agreed to join the effort and help bolster local food assistance.

Community Health Centers Recent legislation authorized an extension of many of the Medicare telehealth flexibilities that were in place during the COVID-19 public health emergency. These extended flexibilities ended on January 30, 2026. This means that individuals with Medicare no longer have insurance coverage for medical visits that occur outside of the office by phone or video. Psychiatry and behavioral health visits remain eligible for telehealth services.

Vermont Business Magazine Vikas Anand has been appointed Dean of the University of Vermont's Grossman School of Business, bringing extensive experience in business school administration, strategic program development, accreditation, and global engagement to UVM’s nationally ranked business school. Dr. Anand currently serves as Associate Dean for Academic Programs at the Poole College of Management at North Carolina State University, where he oversees a broad portfolio including undergraduate and graduate programs, executive education, global initiatives, career services, and marketing. Under his leadership, Poole has seen significant enrollment growth, curricular innovation, and enhanced student outcomes, including top national rankings and strong employment metrics. 

by Maggie Lenz and Gwynn Zakov If last week was a barometer of whether the Legislature is truly interested in reopening the book on Act 250 reforms, the outlook is not very promising. Since the first week of the session, both House and Senate committees with jurisdiction over housing issues have been working on various housing bills and proposed initiatives. The House General and Housing Committee is working diligently on a bill addressing property tax relief by modifying homestead property tax credits to provide increased relief, particularly for low- and middle-income homeowners, through adjustments to the income-based formulas used to calculate those credits. Another bill would create a suite of housing financing tools, including a rural tax stabilization pilot program, municipal special assessment bonds, expanded State Treasurer credit facilities for mobile home parks and bulk purchases of modular housing, and an off-site construction study program.