Committee members spent a substantive portion of the morning ranking bills and identifying priorities for the session.

The chair framed the discussion around affordability and looming federal Medicaid funding changes, saying affordability was “the word of the session.” Several members argued that multiple AI bills should be treated together so the committee can identify overlapping policies and craft a coordinated response; one member proposed taking testimony on the AI bills as a unit. Members also listed primary‑care access and steps toward Green Mountain Care or universal primary care, compacts to ease multi‑state licensure, and health finance transactions (H.585) among the top topics. Others highlighted bills addressing facility fees, private‑equity oversight in long‑term care, and Medicaid school‑based services as priorities to be tracked.

Why it matters: Members said the committee must weigh expansion of access against fiscal constraints and prioritize measures that either save money or lay groundwork for structural reform. Several members suggested short briefings or time‑boxed testimony—e.g., 15 minutes per compact—to avoid long hearings on every profession.

Next steps: Staff (Daisy) will compile members’ rankings and circulate a prioritized list. The chair said the committee will pepper testimony on major topics across the session and may schedule subject‑focused hearings in the weeks ahead.