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Vermont Veterans Home tells Appropriations panel it will shift $1,034,567 from general funds to special funds
Summary
The Vermont Veterans Home told the House Appropriations Committee it will move $1,034,567 from general funds to special funds after larger-than-expected Medicaid settlements and increased rehabilitation revenue; presenters said total budgeted spending will not change and no committee approval was requested.
The Vermont Veterans Home notified the House Appropriations Committee on Jan. 6 that it will reclassify $1,034,567 from general funds to special funds after receiving larger-than-expected Medicaid settlements and an increase in rehabilitation revenue.
Melissa Jackson, CEO of the Vermont Veterans Home, told the committee, "We are not asking for a budget adjustment. We are just notifying you of a change in a line item ... moving 1,000,000, $34,567 from general funds to special funds." Steven McClafferty, the home's finance director, said the increase resulted from an interim Medicaid rate followed by a true-up process that produced higher-than-anticipated payments.
The presenters said the shift reflects a documentation and accounting alignment rather than new spending. McClafferty told the committee the home's "total budget dollar amount is not changing," characterizing the item as an adjustment to "spending authority" and the revenue source designation so the budget accurately reflects where funds originate.
Committee members asked whether the change represents a reversion or otherwise alters the general fund bottom line. The chair pointed committee members to the detailed spreadsheet: the change reduces general fund appropriation and increases special funds but does not increase total program spending.
Jackson also highlighted quality recognitions for the facility. She told the committee the home received the silver National Quality Award from the American Health Care Association, was named among the state's best nursing homes by U.S. News & World Report, and appeared in a Google top-10 list for Vermont nursing homes. Committee members and a remote participant praised the home's leadership and staff for those achievements.
No motion or vote was taken. Jackson told the committee she would return after the FY 2027 budget is released; the chair said the committee will schedule follow-up and also expects an update from ADS on an earlier $8,000,000 contingency allocation for billing improvements.
