Current News

Vermont Business Magazine UnitedHealthcare (UHC) recently announced termination of its commercial insurance provider network contract with the University of Vermont Health Network. This contract non-renewal impacts providers and facilities in Vermont and upstate New York, including the University of Vermont Medical Center, Central Vermont Medical Center, Porter Medical Center, Alice Hyde Medical Center, Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital and Elizabethtown Community Hospital and takes effect April 1, 2023 for most affected plans. As a result, most non-emergency services will no longer be covered as an in-network benefit under commercial UHC plans. Only Commercial UHC plans, such as those provided by employers or purchased directly, are affected by the non-renewal.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles Enforcement & Safety Division can provide the following update on the collision that occurred Monday, February 27, 2023, between an Amtrak train and a commercial vehicle in Sharon, VT. The tractor-trailer unit was in motion as it crossed the tracks, at which point the Amtrak train collided with the trailer that was hauling stone. The trailer broke free from the truck at impact, keeping the truck from being dragged along the tracks. The driver of the commercial motor vehicle was issued a violation for attempting to cross the railroad tracks when unsafe to do so.

Vermont Business Magazine After decades of providing specialized educational services to pregnant and parenting teens, Lund has announced the discontinuation of the New Horizon Education Program (NHEP). Since the early 1990’s NHEP, a state of Vermont approved education program, has helped hundreds of young parents who were at risk of not obtaining their high school degrees. NHEP was originally launched to ensure that the educational needs of pregnant and parenting teens in Lund’s residential treatment program were addressed. At that time most parents in the Residential program were minors. Over the last decade, Lund has observed a change in the age of parents in the residential treatment program; and over the last several years, we have observed that more parents coming in to the program have already obtained their high school diplomas.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health reported February 22, 2023, that COVID-19 case counts were down and hospitalizations were largely unchanged over the last week. COVID-19 activity remains in the "Low" range, according to the VDH. Hospitalizations increased by a single case to 42 last week (they were as low as 30 last fall). Total cases fell to 433 (from 495). There were seven COVID-related deaths in the last week for a pandemic total of 917 as of February 18. Of the total deaths to date, 725 have been of Vermonters 70 or older. There have been 3 deaths of Vermonters under 30 since the beginning of the pandemic. There have been 15 deaths so far in February; there were 24 in January, as data was adjusted based on more information. Deaths are not spiking this winter as they have the previous two.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Mutual Insurance Group, one of the oldest property and casualty insurers in the Northeast, has contributed more than $550,000 to local charities in 2022 through its Charitable Giving Fund. Since its inception in 2014, the Vermont Mutual Charitable Giving Fund has donated more than $3.5 Million to help support organizations in communities where they do business, including $1 million in COVID-19 relief efforts in the state of Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Hunger Free Vermont received a $36,090 grant from Shaw’s and Star Market Foundation’s Nourishing Neighbors Program. The grant was provided from funds donated by generous customers at checkout last September and will be used to help schools and communities across Vermont to increase the number of children who consistently participate in their school breakfast programs.

Vermont Business Magazine Following the US Food and Drug Administration’s proposed guidance last week allowing nut, oat, soy, and other non-dairy products to use the name "milk,” Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Jim Risch (R-ID), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Peter Welch (D-Vermont) today introduced bipartisan legislation to combat the unfair practice of mislabeling non-dairy products using dairy names. The Defending Against Imitations and Replacements of Yogurt, milk, and cheese to Promote Regular Intake of Dairy Everyday Act (DAIRY PRIDE Act) of 2023 would require non-dairy products made from nuts, seeds, plants, and algae to no longer be mislabeled with dairy terms such as milk, yogurt or cheese.

The Small Business Administration is hosting a free webinar at noon March 1 about its guaranteed loan programs. SBA guarantees loans making it easier for small businesses to get the funding by reducing lender risk. Funds can be used for most business purposes, including long-term fixed assets and operating capital. Amounts range from $500 to $5.5 million.

Vermont Business Magazine Representative Becca Balint (D-VT) has been appointed to two Oversight Subcommittees: Healthcare and Financial Services and Government Operations and the Federal Workforce. The Subcommittee on Healthcare and Financial Services has jurisdiction over federal health care policy, food and drug safety, federal entitlement programs, monetary policy, banking, infrastructure, tax policy, and oversight and legislative jurisdiction over the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Katie Porter is the Ranking Member of the subcommittee.