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Vermont senators debate how to measure hospital fiscal health as bill aims to let regulators cut Blue Cross rates
Summary
Witnesses told the Senate Health & Welfare Committee that commonly used measures such as days cash on hand are volatile and unreliable for emergency action; they urged alternatives and recommended written guidance before the committee moves forward with H.482.
The Vermont Senate Health & Welfare Committee on April 29 heard expert testimony questioning whether days cash on hand is a reliable metric for determining hospital fiscal health and whether the Green Mountain Care Board or regulators should be authorized to reduce insurer reimbursements midyear.
Nancy Payne, a witness and health-care finance expert, told the committee that days cash on hand is highly volatile and “I think it's gonna be really unreliable, and you're not gonna be able to use it for the purpose” the bill appears to intend. Payne urged lawmakers to consider alternatives tied to payment mechanics rather than a single balance-sheet snapshot.
The bill under consideration, H.482, would give regulators authority to reduce Blue Cross reimbursement rates to certain hospitals if the insurer’s financial condition triggers statutory thresholds. Jen Harvey, legislative counsel, told the committee…
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