Vermont Business Magazine OneCare Vermont today responded with strong opposition to a suit filed this morning by Attorney General TJ Donovan on behalf of State Auditor Douglas Hoffer in Washington superior court requiring the organization to provide payroll, salary, and benefit information no other contractor or state partner is required to share.
Although OneCare has already provided the state and the public with the compensation paid to every single OneCare executive, the Auditor is now seeking the pay of other OneCare employees. OneCare said in a statement today that it deems this suit a baseless overreach without purpose or merit.
Vicki Loner, OneCare CEO, said “OneCare has met our contractual obligations and we don’t understand why the Auditor believes he is entitled to the personal financial information of each and every one of our employees, including their W-2 and 1099 forms. We feel compelled to oppose this intrusive and unnecessary request.”
If the Auditor’s argument about the meaning of the mandatory standard state contractual provisions were correct, he would be entitled to ask for the salary of every employee of nearly every business that has signed a contract with the state of Vermont.
In the spirit of transparency, OneCare has gone above and beyond in compensation reporting. In October 2020, OneCare filed with the IRS seeking 501(c)(3) status, voluntarily demonstrating a commitment to further transparency that all non-profits must meet. While its application is pending, OneCare has publicly disclosed all of the salaries of senior executives, following non-profit organization reporting rules. In addition, OneCare provided the Auditor salary “pay bands” and benefits information of all OneCare employees, even though it was not required. Specific non-executive employee information was not released because it intrudes upon employees’ privacy and because the Auditor has articulated no legitimate use to which that information could be put by his office.
Claudio Fort, President and CEO of Rutland Regional Medical Center and member of the OneCare Vermont board of managers, said “I have seen first-hand their commitment to transparency through my role on the board. Vermont’s extensive regulatory process also requires it. This lawsuit asks for information that is not relevant to ACO performance and diverts resources from the important work of healthcare reform in Vermont.”
Michael Costa, CEO of Northern Counties Health Care, said “as a member of the OneCare board of managers, Federally Qualified Health Center CEO, and former State official, I have always found OneCare to be a good faith partner in health care reform. Vermont’s All-Payer Model assumes an extraordinary degree of collaboration between the State and ACO, and, sadly, the Auditor’s decision to file a lawsuit creates a significant obstacle to that partnership.”
About OneCare Vermont
OneCare Vermont is a provider-led Accountable Care Organization working to improve the health of Vermonters and lower health care costs. OneCare partners with health insurance companies, hospitals, independent medical practices, and community collaborators to offer programs that pay for positive outcomes and health care activities. OneCare gives doctors and other providers access to data, resources, and tools to improve patient health. Health care providers participating in OneCare pool resources and expertise to help Vermonters become healthier and stay healthier, and focus on improving access to primary care, reducing deaths from suicide and drug overdose, and managing chronic illnesses. By sharing information and working together, providers can do even more to deliver the best care to patients.
Source: COLCHESTER, Vt. – OneCare Vermont 2.3.2021