Switching our retiree health insurance to a controversial company currently being sued for Medicare Advantage payment fraud by the U.S. Department of Justice is not the way to go about saving money.
Category: Health Care
VTDigger publishes regular stories on health care. We cover the state’s hospitals, accountable care organization OneCare, the state’s psychiatric care system, the Green Mountain Care Board, insurers, health care policy, and statewide debates on healthcare reform. Katie Jickling is VTDigger's healthcare reporter. She can be reached at katie@vtdigger.org.
Vermont surpasses 900 Covid deaths while state levels are ‘low’
The state’s monthly Covid death toll has smoothed out over the past year, but the virus is still on pace to be one of the leading causes of death in 2022.
BlueCross withdrawal from ACO has Vermont’s primary care practices worried
Providers say the private insurer’s decision not to participate in OneCare for 2023 is “destabilizing” to payment programs they have come to rely on.
UVM Medical Center cleans up flooding from frozen pipes
Pipes burst over the weekend as temperatures dropped below zero.
Waterbury Ambulance names executive director, lands federal funds
Dillon and Burke said the federal funds come at a critical time for their project. When design and planning for the new station began several years ago, cost estimates were $2.5 to $3 million.
Senate bill would expand aid-in-dying to those living outside Vermont
A new bill would remove the requirement that only state residents can receive medical assistance here to hasten an imminent death.
Lawmakers consider interstate compact for mental health counselors
Interstate licensure agreements make it easier for providers to move among states. Vermont is currently part of an interstate nursing compact, and state officials are working on similar agreements for occupational therapy, social work and other fields.
Health care providers seek legislative action to curb workplace violence
The tweak in Vermont’s criminal code would not significantly change the law, but should help with enforcement, proponents say.
Vermont’s overall Covid levels remain ‘low’ as Burlington wastewater data returns to normal
A one-week spike in Burlington’s wastewater test results has returned to “baseline,” the city reported, but several counties reported rising Covid levels.
End to national Covid-19 emergency order could affect Vermont’s tools to fight the disease
President Joe Biden announced plans to end the emergency order on May 11. The order set requirements for insurance coverage of Covid-19 vaccinations, testing and treatment.