Coalition forms to combat the high cost of Vermont Healthcare – The Manchester Journal

Montpelier – an incredible group of Allied Vermonters have gathered to emphasize that Vermont healthcare costs are unjustifiably high. It is said that high costs have reached an emergency point and hurt business, workers and taxpayers. The group maintains that Vermont spends so much on healthcare that we can reduce premiums without reducing patient care if only dollars were better used.

Speaking at an initial press conference on Wednesday, former governor Jim Douglas and business leader Lisa Ventris have told the media that co -chair of the Board of Leaders of a New Organization: VT Healthcare 911 (VHC91.org). Other members include the founder of Onlogic Lisa Groneveld, the owner of the smugglers was a tribal, the President of Vermont-Nea Don Tini, Greg Marcildon with AARP-VT, Nicole Divita, President for AFT Vermont Health, doctors.

“Vermont’s premiums are twice as large as the national average,” said governor Douglas. “We know that this hurts job growth and we slow down our economy.” Lisa Ventris, a former long -time leader of Vermont’s Business Round Table, said the VHC911 analysis shows that the budgets of Vermont’s hospital are in line with their peers and spend too much on management and administration.

Between 2018 and 2025, the monthly costs for bronze (with the lowest price) trade insurance plan in Vermont increased from $ 422 to $ 808, which is almost double the price in Maine ($ 464), almost triple the price in New Hampire ($ 272) and more than twice as large as the national average ($ 381). The Kaiser Foundation shows that the average annual health insurance premiums for family coverage have increased by 12% since 2018; In Vermont, the growth was 92 percent.

Don Tini, President of Vermont-Naa, emphasized the urgency of the moment: “Simply put, it has to stop. At a time when the state public education system is under a microscope, it is long time to do the same with our broken healthcare system. “

According to the VT Healthcare 911, there is adequate money in Vermont’s healthcare system to take care of everyone. “We will be better if we are pushing resources farther from the current to prevention, primary care and mental health informed of trauma,” Ventris said.

The new group said it was building a broad and politically diverse coalition to help leaders focus on reducing costs. “We know that hospitals are a vital part of Vermont’s healthcare and our communities, but they need to be managed effectively,” says former Chitenen Chris Pearson County Senator, chairman of the group. “Since 2021, our hospital costs have increased from 35 percent to 44.5 percent of Vermont Health Costs, now reaches $ 3.8 billion,” said Pearson. “If Vermont Hospitals were managed more as regional peers, We will see hundreds of millions of dollars every year. “

The group hopes to hold discussions with MPs, Community leaders, business leaders and the public in the coming months. It is said that it is the right time to cope with the problem and to support the work of the Green Mountains Council, the regulator of Vermont Health. “For the first time since its establishment in 2011, GMCB calls into question why hospital expenses seem out of scale with similar institutions around New England and the country. It is high time to deal with these expenses directly,” said governor Douglas.