The Department of Vermont Health Access (DVHA) will host a series of public forums this fall to educate Vermonters about the new Health Benefit Exchange, scheduled to launch in late 2013. The Exchange is a marketplace for individuals, families, and small businesses to compare and purchase qualified private health insurance plans, determine eligibility for and enroll in public health insurance plans, and access federal tax credits.
The public forums will be held throughout the state in September and October. Each session will cover topics including the essential health benefits that are required of all health plans participating in the Exchange, the assistance that will be available to Vermonters, and what the Exchange website might look like.
‘The Exchange will give Vermonters access to affordable, quality health coverage,’said Mark Larson, Commissioner of the DVHA. ‘These forums are a statewide effort intended to help the public learn about the Exchange and what it will mean for them.’
The forums, which are free and open to public, will be held in the following locations:
Middlebury ‘Thursday, September 13
6:00pm to 8:30pm
Isley Public Library
75 Main Street, Middlebury, VT
St. Johnsbury ‘Tuesday, September 18
6:00pm to 8:30pm
St. Johnsbury School
257 Western Avenue, St. Johnsbury, VT
Rutland ‘Monday, September 24
6:00pm to 8:30pm
Rutland Free Library
10 Court Street, Rutland, VT
Bennington ‘Wednesday, October 10
6:00pm to 8:30pm
Bennington Free Library
101 Silver Street, Bennington, VT
DVHA will continue to host forums and attend events to explain what to update Vermonters on the development of the Exchange and what it means for them.