Conference committee restores global hospital budgets, sets timelines and limits data access in health bill

A Vermont legislative conference committee reviewed and revised a draft health‑care bill this week, restoring references to global hospital budgets — but adding the qualifier “to the extent that resources are available” — and setting target timelines for reference‑based pricing, initial hospital participation and a statewide health‑care plan.

The changes were reviewed for the committee by Jen, an attorney in the Office of Legislative Council, who walked members through language the Senate had proposed to put back into the House document and identified where the two chambers differ.

The revisions matter because they affect how hospitals will be paid, how primary care is organized and what patient and provider data may be shared for policy and care‑coordination purposes. Committee members said the provisions will influence hospital budgets, data privacy and who gets direct input on statewide health‑care delivery reform.

Key provisions and timelines

- Reference‑based pricing. The draft confirms that a reference‑based pricing framework would be established in hospital fiscal year 2027, with implementation beginning in fiscal 2028 for “one or more hospitals that are not current clients.”

- Global hospital budgets. The Senate language was restored so the Green Mountain Care Board would work on global hospital budgets, but the draft adds the repeated caveat that establishment of budgets for all Vermont hospitals is subject to available resources. The committee discussed asking the board to develop an operational definition of “global hospital budget.”

- Statewide plan and update cycle. The committee reviewed a compromise schedule:…