Vermont officials brief committee on veterans outreach, transportation and dental access

Robert Burke, director of Veterans Affairs for the state of Vermont, Miriam Boyle, director of Family Programs for the Vermont National Guard, and Andre Wing, program manager for the Vermont Veterans Outreach, told the House Government Operations & Military Affairs committee about the scope and limits of veterans services and persistent access problems affecting rural veterans.

The presentations outlined state-run programs that certify eligibility for property tax reductions, operate the Randolph Center veterans cemetery and run a grant program; a federally funded but state-managed outreach network provides embedded specialists and a statewide 24/7 phone line. Committee members and public commenters pressed officials about transportation, dental care access and eligibility rules for veteran license plates.

The briefing matters because Vermont’s rural geography concentrates needs for transportation and local access to care. Officials repeatedly told the committee many programs rely on annual federal appropriations or locally administered rules, and several services operate at capacity.

Burke described three primary lines of work in the state Veterans Affairs office: certifying eligibility for state programs such as the town‑voted property tax reduction for veterans with a VA disability rating of 50% or greater; administering the Vermont Veterans Fund grants; and running the state veterans cemetery in Randolph Center. “We are part of the military department. I work for the adjutant general,” Burke said, describing his office as a standard state employee function rather than a cabinet position.

Burke said the property tax reduction is set, and voted, at the town level and that his office determines eligibility. He also described the Vermont Veterans Fund as an annual competitive grant program reviewed by a governor‑appointed committee; the fund “is anywhere from 20 to we've had as much as $75,000 in that fund on an annual basis and grants typically run anywhere between $7,000 and $15,000 per grantee,” he said. Burke told the committee the office’s service officers help veterans and families apply for federal VA benefits and reported recovered federal benefit payments brought into the state: “in fiscal year 2023, we recovered $9,500,000 in federal monies for veterans and families,” and, he added, “so far this year as of March, $4.6 million.”

On cemetery operations, Burke described a 2017–2018 expansion of the Randolph Center veterans cemetery funded at $7,400,000 that added roughly 1,640 burial plots. He said the state provides plots and headstones for veterans and spouses; the only charge to families is an opening and closing fee for spouse or dependent interments that the office sets to cover perpetual care. Burke said the current opening/closing fees are $2.25 for an urn and $5.25 for a casket and that the office periodically surveys New England peers to keep fees competitive.

Miriam Boyle described the Vermont Veterans Outreach and Family Programs. “This call center is manned by the Vermont Veterans Outreach personnel, and this is — this should always be the first step for our veterans if they need assistance,” Boyle said, giving the program’s 24/7 phone number as (888) 607‑8773. She said the outreach program began in 2006 and received funding through the National Defense Authorization Act of 2007 and that the outreach team includes a program manager, a program analyst, 12 outreach specialists covering all 14 counties, a VA liaison at White River Junction and two dental specialists embedded with federally qualified health centers.

Boyle and Wing emphasized the outreach specialists are embedded in armories and community sites. Wing said the program now maintains a substantial client database and field staff who attend unit drills and demobilization sites to enroll veterans in VA benefits; “we wound up enrolling about 850 [during a recent mobilization effort],” Wing said, describing an enrollment drive that he said also translates into VA funding tied to those enrollments.

Wing described a state partnership to address dental access for veterans: a grant from Northeast Delta Dental that the outreach program piloted with federally qualified health centers. He said the grant totaled $100,000, initially provided $750 per veteran and was raised to $1,000; the program served about 70 veterans last year and dispersed roughly $25,000 in care. “We upped the grant from $750 to $1,000,” Wing said, and added that he expects the program to serve more veterans in the current year.

Both Boyle and Wing highlighted transportation as a persistent barrier in rural areas. Burke and outreach staff cited examples of lost transit routes and said transportation shortfalls complicate travel to medical appointments and VA facilities. Committee members and residents raised TRICARE access problems for currently active service members and dependents; several public speakers said the online TRICARE provider listings are inaccurate and that many Vermont providers no longer accept TRICARE because of reimbursement and administrative delays. Officials said the state program has limited authority over TRICARE network participation and that the problem is largely driven by federal program changes.

Committee members also asked about veterans’ license plates and eligibility after a veteran’s death. A public commenter described being unable to obtain a veteran plate posthumously in a spouse’s name. Officials acknowledged the situation and explained the current rules produce such outcomes, and attendees discussed whether internal guidance or statutory changes would be needed to change that practice.

Officials discussed VA facility capacity and restructuring proposals historically considered at the VA level, with outreach staff reporting they monitor White River Junction for potential impacts. Wing and Boyle said they have regular contact with VA staff and community partners and that their program’s service model — embedded outreach specialists, a 24/7 intake number and partnerships with health centers — helps reach rural veterans.

The committee did not take formal action during the briefing. Members said they would continue the conversation and may follow up on transportation and care‑access issues in future meetings.

The presentation concluded with committee staff noting upcoming agenda items and scheduling; no votes or motions were recorded during this session.