The Vermont House passed H.611 Tuesday, a bill described as a “bill of rights” for Vermont’s older populations.
The bill establishes protections for older Vermonters and expectations for the state to follow in an effort to make Vermont a place where older populations can thrive. The bill defines older Vermonters’ rights to self determination, their rights to safety and protection and their rights to efficient systems of care.
The bill also provides more organization and accountability around the state’s response to elder care. It designates the Department of Disabilities, Aging, and Independent Living “the subject matter expert” on all decision-making involving older Vermonters in the state and requires the department to submit an annual report to the Legislature containing data about reports of abuse against vulnerable adults that the state receives.
Rep. Theresa Wood, D-Waterbury, the lead sponsor of the bill, said she’s been working on the legislation for three years.
“There’s nothing in Vermont statute right now that speaks to the rights of older Vermonters,” she said. “And so that was key to put into Legislation.”
Wood said the bill has even more urgency now during the Covid-19 pandemic, which has been particularly deadly among older populations with a heightened vulnerability to the virus. Wood said this bill could have prompted the state’s development of an emergency response strategy specifically for older Vermonters when the pandemic hit.
“We could have benefited from more advanced planning,” Wood said. “What do we need to do to make our communities more friendly to older Vermonters?”
One portion of the bill, which excited some service providers, got the ax before passage. It would have automatically increased Medicaid rates for home and community services providers based on inflation.
Molly Dugan, SASH coordinator for Cathedral Square, testified before House Human Services in February and said current rate reimbursements do not fulfill the true cost of these services, causing “significant losses” at the group’s Burlington and Williston facilities.
The House Appropriations Committee removed the section out of concern it could lock next year’s Legislature into certain rates amid the state’s Covid-19 budget crisis, according to Committee Chair Kitty Toll, D-Danville.
The bill does include a charge for the Departments of Vermont Health Access and of Disabilities, Aging, and Independent Living to conduct a rate study of the Medicaid
reimbursement rates paid to providers.
The bill heads to the Senate for final approval.
– Grace Elletson
This is an excerpt of Final Reading. For the full rundown of bills in motion at the Statehouse, the daily legislative calendar and interviews with newsmakers, sign up here for the unabridged version delivered straight to your inbox Tuesday through Friday evenings.
