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1 H.776
2 Introduced by Representative Casey of Montpelier
3 Referred to Committee on
4 Date:
5 Subject: Health; health care reform; Green Mountain Care Board; Division of
6 Policy, Planning, and Innovation
7 Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to create the
8 Division of Policy, Planning, and Innovation at the Green Mountain Care
9 Board to engage in health care reform initiatives and to develop and coordinate
10 implementation of a comprehensive State plan to improve timely access to
11 affordable, high-quality, and equitable health care services.
12 An act relating to establishing the Division of Policy, Planning, and
13 Innovation at the Green Mountain Care Board
14 It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont:
15 Sec. 1. 18 V.S.A. chapter 220 is amended to read:
16 CHAPTER 220. GREEN MOUNTAIN CARE BOARD
17 ***
18 § 9372. PURPOSE
19 It is the intent of the General Assembly to create an independent board to
20 promote the general good of the State by:
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1 (1) improving the health of the population;
2 (2) reducing the per-capita rate of growth in expenditures for health
3 services in Vermont across all payers while ensuring that access to care and
4 quality of care are not compromised;
5 (3) enhancing the patient and health care professional experience of
6 care;
7 (4) recruiting and retaining high-quality health care professionals; and
8 (5) achieving administrative simplification in health care financing and
9 delivery; and
10 (6) planning, developing, and evaluating innovations in health care
11 delivery and working with other State agencies and the General Assembly to
12 advance their implementation.
13 ***
14 § 9374. BOARD MEMBERSHIP; AUTHORITY
15 ***
16 (d)(1)(A) The Chair shall have general charge of the offices and employees
17 of the Board but may hire a director an Executive Director to oversee the
18 administration and operation.
19 (B) There is created within the Board’s purview the Division of
20 Policy, Planning, and Innovation to engage in health care reform initiatives and
21 to develop and coordinate implementation of a comprehensive State plan to
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1 improve timely access to affordable, high-quality, and equitable health care
2 services as set forth in section 9384 of this chapter. The Chair shall hire a
3 director to lead the Division.
4 ***
5 § 9384. DIVISION OF POLICY, PLANNING, AND INNOVATION;
6 COMPREHENSIVE STATE PLAN
7 (a) The Division of Policy, Planning, and Innovation shall collaborate with
8 the Agency of Human Services, the Blueprint for Health, other State agencies,
9 and health care providers to:
10 (1) oversee the integration of all existing State health care plans and
11 programs with the comprehensive State plan set forth in subsection (b) of this
12 section;
13 (2) develop and evaluate alternative financing models for health care
14 providers, including global budgets for hospitals, rate setting, and uniform
15 pricing requirements for the same services statewide;
16 (3) develop a plan for addressing the high cost of prescription drugs,
17 which shall include having the Board conduct an affordability review on
18 certain high-cost prescription drugs and set appropriate upper payment limits;
19 and
20 (4) develop plans to respond to workforce shortages in primary care,
21 mental health, home health, and nursing.
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1 (b)(1) The Division shall develop and coordinate the implementation of a
2 comprehensive and integrated State plan to improve timely access to
3 affordable, high-quality, and equitable health care services based on a
4 comprehensive assessment of Vermont’s health care needs.
5 (2) The plan shall:
6 (A) be consistent with the principles for health care reform set forth
7 in section 9371 of this chapter;
8 (B) be aligned with the requirements necessary for participation in
9 models and other opportunities offered by the Centers for Medicare and
10 Medicaid Services to partner with the federal government in improving health
11 care access, quality, and affordability, including opportunities to curb health
12 care cost growth, improve population health, and advance health equity by
13 reducing disparities in health outcomes;
14 (C) be consistent with Vermont’s All-Payer Model agreement with
15 the federal government; and
16 (D) address the health care services, health care providers, and
17 settings in which health care services are delivered in this State.
18 (c) The Division shall strengthen and expand affordable access to primary
19 care, including mental health and home health services, at the community
20 level. The Division shall establish the Primary Care Council to provide input
21 and recommendations on its work. The Primary Care Council shall comprise VT LEG #373216 v.1
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1 primary care providers from independent practices, hospital-affiliated
2 practices, and federally qualified health centers.
3 (d) The Division shall establish the Patient Advisory Council to incorporate
4 the voices of Vermont’s patients, labor unions, employers, and advocacy
5 organizations into the Division’s policy and planning work.
6 ***
7 Sec. 2. GREEN MOUNTAIN CARE BOARD; DIVISION OF POLICY,
8 PLANNING, AND INNOVATION; POSITIONS
9 (a) The following new permanent classified positions are created in the
10 Green Mountain Care Board, Division of Policy, Planning, and Innovation:
11 (1) one Director of Policy, Planning, and Innovation;
12 (2) three Policy Analysts; and
13 (3) one Administrative Assistant.
14 (b) The positions established in this section shall be transferred and
15 converted from existing vacant positions in the Executive Branch of State
16 government.
17 Sec. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE
18 This act shall take effect on July 1, 2024.
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Statutes affected: As Introduced: 18-220