Appropriations committee advances wide-ranging health care payment bill with funding for Green Mountain Care Board and AHS implementation

The Senate Appropriations Committee on March 19 voted to move S.146 — a bill to reform health care payment and delivery in the state — to the floor after approving committee amendments that change how some implementation costs are funded.

Senator Lyons, sponsor of the bill's policy provisions, told the committee the measure aims to slow rapidly rising health-care costs by adding transparency, piloting reference-based pricing for hospitals, pursuing global hospital budgets and integrating clinical and claims data to improve care coordination. "The cost of health care is escalating, too rapidly for people to afford," Lyons said, arguing the bill requires upfront investment to stabilize hospitals and access to insurance.

Eugene Kirby of the Office of Legislative Counsel summarized the bill's…