Vermont ACO budgeted for $621M
Vermont's statewide accountable care organization (ACO), OneCare Vermont, will launch with a $620.8 million budget to cover about 122,000 people.
The budget was approved by the Green Mountain Care Board, the state’s healthcare regulatory agency. $600 million will be dedicated for patient care, $12.5 million will go for operating expenses and $7.5 million will cover various pilot projects.
“It's a very big step, because health care nationally is growing at a faster rate than economic growth,” board chairman Kevin Mullin told the Burlington Free Press. “We're not doing well compared to other developed countries as far as our per capita cost for health care, so this is important to try to move away from what I consider to be a failed system of fee for service.”
The model pays providers a fixed amount of a monthly basis: Primary care physicians would receive $3.25 per patient per month, with another $15 to $25 for more complex patients. Nine of the state’s 14 hospitals will participate, along with one in neighboring New Hampshire, along with providers under Blue Cross Blue Shield plans and the University of Vermont Medical Center employee plans.
Read more at the link below:
John joined TriMed in 2016, focusing on healthcare policy and regulation. After graduating from Columbia College Chicago, he worked at FM News Chicago and Rivet News Radio, and worked on the state government and politics beat for the Illinois Radio Network. Outside of work, you may find him adding to his never-ending graphic novel collection.