The Green Mountain Care Board — which oversees Vermont's all-payer system — amended a proposed hospital budget Sept. 29 after the CEO of UVM Health Network criticized the changes in a recent appeal letter, according to the VT Digger.
In a Sept. 24 letter, John Brumsted, MD, the CEO of UVM Health Network in Burlington, Vt., blasted the board for authorizing lower budgets than the network's hospitals requested. According to the VT Digger, he said the lower budgets would threaten the network's ability to provide all services as usual, and could lead to cuts.
The Green Mountain Care Board decided to amend the budgets. In addition to Dr. Brumsted's opposition, other hospital officials raised concerns that proposed budget changes would threaten aid hospitals receive from the federal government. According to a guidance released by the Health Resources and Services Administration, hospitals that get additional funding to cover COVID-19 costs may lose out on federal aid, the report said.
Ultimately, the Green Mountain Care Board approved a 5.6 percent increase in average hospital prices for 2021.
Read the full report here.