Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Ways & Means hears proposals to shore up health coverage after federal credit rollback
Summary
On April 28, the Ways & Means Committee reviewed draft bill 26-0804, which would expand a small‑employer premium tax credit, create state premium assistance for households above 400% of the federal poverty level, and further expand Medicare savings programs to reduce Medicare costs for low‑income Vermonters.
The Ways & Means Committee on April 28 heard a detailed presentation from the Office of the Health Care Advocate on draft bill 26-0804, which the office says is intended to blunt the effects of the end of enhanced federal premium tax credits.
Mike Fisher, Health Care Advocate, told the committee the enrollment slides tell "a story of a disaster," saying the recent open‑enrollment data show a substantial exodus from the individual market and a large shift to lower‑value plans. Emma Savins, a health policy analyst, said the bill contains three initiatives: a small‑employer premium tax credit, expanded state premium assistance for households above 400% of the federal poverty level (FPL), and further expansion of Vermont’s Medicare savings programs.
The proposal for small employers would extend eligibility beyond the current program (which is limited to businesses with 25 or fewer full‑time employees) to employers with up to…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
