IN THIS ISSUE
CALENDAR
Tues, Mar 14, 6:30pm
Burlington, VT
Thurs, Mar 16, 1pm
Montpelier, VT
Mon, Mar 20, 8am
Burlington, VT
Mar 20-21
Washington, D.C.

"Being Mortal" Screenings & Discussions

Tues, Mar 21, 6pm 

Middlebury, VT

Thurs, Mar 23, 6pm
Burlington, VT
brought to you by VNAs of Vermont
Wed, Mar 22, 11:30am
Click here to register. 
brought to you by VNAs of Vermont
Dates include: 
Mar 23, 12pm
Apr 6, 12pm 
Click here to register for the full series. 
brought to you by VNAs of Vermont
Thu, Mar 23, 11:30am
Click here to register. 
Thurs, Mar 23, 1pm
Montpelier, VT
a benefit for Addison County Home Health & Hospice
Sat, Mar 25, 4pm
Middlebury, VT
Click here to register.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE
On Town Meeting Day, Vermonters across the state voted to support their local VNA. Vermont's VNAs are non-for-profit, mission-driven organizations who serve their clients, regardless of ability to pay. The VNAs of Vermont are grateful for the strong support of their communities.




Jill Mazza-Olson, Executive Director
IN THE NEWS
Judy Peterson Featured in Business People Vermont
This week, we're thrilled to see our own Judy Peterson, President and CEO of the VNA of Chittenden and Grand Isle Counties, featured in the March cover story of Business People Vermont. It's a wonderful profile of Judy highlighting her long-standing commitment to Vermonters. Click here to read a profile of this dynamic and thoughtful leader.

Technology Advancement in Central Vermont
"Home Telemonitoring Patient Data Now Available to Vermont Providers" - Vermont Biz (2/28/17)
FEDERAL UPDATE
With Vermont's legislature on Town Meeting Week Break, our focus was on Washington, D.C. The release of the House proposal to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, known as the American Health Care Act, has received extensive coverage and analysis by the media and policy experts. A detailed summary from the Kaiser Family Foundation is available here. The proposal has alarmed Vermont's leaders largely because it would replace income-based premium subsidies with aged-based, income-capped tax credits, implement per-capita Medicaid caps, and phase out federal support for Medicaid expansion. Vermont's very low uninsured rate is built on those policies.

Despite bi-partisan support for home health and hospice services, the American Health Care Act, if implemented as drafted, will have a significant impact on Vermont's home care community. While home health and hospice services demonstrably help avoid more expensive Medicaid spending on nursing home and hospital services, convincing lawmakers to invest in those services has been an uphill battle for a long time. The cost of expanding Medicaid coverage to more Vermonters has left little room for reimbursement increases. Fewer federal dollars will make the tough choices legislators must make between coverage, reimbursement and benefits that much more challenging.

The VNAs of Vermont is also concerned about the repeal of enhanced federal matching dollars for what's known as the Community First Choice Option, effective January 1, 2020. This program helps states to move long-term care services out of nursing homes and into the home setting without applying for a federal waiver by funding personal care services. Vermont has a long-standing waiver in place (the Choices for Care program) so the impact is indirect, but it signals a troubling step backward.

The VNAs of Vermont will continue to watch these developments closely in the weeks ahead.

Vermont policymakers react to the House health care bill to replace the Affordable Care Act:

  "State Officials: GOP Health Plan Could Have Dire Consequences" - Vermont Press Bureau (3/10/17)

Rep. Welch's Opening Remarks at the E&C Committee Markup of AHCA



Click here to register now! Early bird pricing ends March 31. 






Click here to register now! Early bird pricing ends April 10.
VNAs of Vermont | 802-229-0579 | info@vnavt.org | http://vnavt.com