State Expansions: Vermont  

In May 2006, Vermont enacted two health reform laws, collectively known as Catamount Health. Together, the laws expand public coverage, improve care for people with chronic illnesses, and introduce new consumer protections. The laws created a new, private, comprehensive health coverage option, called Catamount Health, which offers subsidies for people with income below 300 percent of poverty. Enrollment in Catamount Health began October 1, 2007. Vermont is contracting with the non-profit insurers MVP and Blue Cross Blue Shield to provide benefits.

During the 2007 legislative session, the Vermont legislature passed Act 71, which included many improvements in outreach and enrollment for the Vermont Health Access Program (VHAP, Vermont’s Medicaid program) and Dr. Dynasaur (the state’s SCHIP program). An agency called Green Mountain Care is now acting as the clearinghouse for VHAP, Dr. Dynasaur, and Catamount Health.

Per new federal guidance, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is refusing to provide a federal match for children enrolled in Dr. Dynasaur with family incomes above 200 percent of poverty. However, the state has allocated funds to compensate for this loss and is moving forward to cover more uninsured children.

During the 2008 legislative session, Vermont lawmakers made improvements to Catamount Health by enacting H. 887, which:

• Extends coverage of family health insurance to young adults up to age 24;
• Establishes that in 2009, the state will ask permission from the federal government to reduce the length of time (from one year to six months) that individuals must be uninsured before they can begin receiving benefits through Catamount Health;
• Eliminates the exclusion period for pre-existing conditions for individuals who enroll in Catamount prior to November 1, 2008; and
• Allows people in high-deductible catastrophic plans to enroll in Catamount Health with no waiting period.

For an in depth look at the Vermont expansion, see Vermont’s Health Reform Laws. For more information on the new CMS SCHIP guidance, see Administration Blocks Road to Coverage for Children.

Vermont Expansion Resources   

• Scoring Catamount Health: Examining Vermont's Progress Toward an Equitable Health System (Vermont Public Interest Research and Education Fund, August 2008)
• What Is Catamount? (PowerPoint by Hunt Blair, Bi-State Primary Care Association, January 2007)
• Understanding Health Reform in Vermont (Community Catalyst, December 2006)
• Vermont's Health Care Reform of 2006
• Vermont Public Interest Research Group—Health Care for All 
• Campaign for Health Care Security Education Trust Fund
• Snelling Center for Government at the University of Vermont  

For general resources on state expansions, see Other Resources.

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