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Vermont Veterans Home presents 'all‑in' budget and warns staffing, waiver and occupancy risks
Summary
Vermont Veterans Home leaders told the House Appropriations Committee they submitted an “all‑in” FY 2026 budget, detailed VA reimbursement streams, reported 30 beds offline due to staffing and life‑safety issues, and warned projected costs and waiver policy changes could affect finances if federal reimbursement or staffing conditions change.
Melissa Jackson, chief executive officer of the Vermont Veterans Home, and senior staff briefed the House Appropriations Committee on the home’s FY 2026 budget request and operational challenges.
Jackson opened with the home’s mission: “We are here to fulfill the promise, taking care of Vermont's veterans, their spouses, and gold star parents.” She said the home is a state agency with state employees and collective bargaining obligations, and that it receives two kinds of federal Veterans Affairs payments (a daily basic per diem and a service‑connected full cost of care reimbursement) in addition to Medicaid, Medicare and private pay revenues.
Finance Director Steve McClafferty and Jackson outlined the home’s revenue assumptions. They said anticipated VA stipend revenue for FY 2026 is roughly $2.607 million, the domiciliary (residential) stipend about $136,000, and VA service‑connected reimbursement roughly $4.8 million (these are…
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