March 13, 2024
VERMONT HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES UNANIMOUSLY PASSES BILL TO EXPAND ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE, LOWER BUREAUCRATIC BURDEN ON HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS
Montpelier, Vt. – Today, the House gave final approval to H.766, a bill that creates greater access for patients to see health care providers and supports providers by removing many of the bureaucratic barriers they face every day. Today’s final vote passed unanimously with a 137-0 vote. From here, the bill moves to the Senate.
“I am so proud of the work done by the House Health Care Committee in crafting this important health care access bill,” said House Speaker Jill Krowinski. “Access to care is a significant issue facing Vermonters across the state, and this bill takes a significant step in tearing down barriers to receiving care from a health care professional. Health care providers choose their line of work because of their dedication to caring for Vermonters, not to spend hours of the day filling out administrative paperwork. The committee heard incredible testimony from a wide variety of doctors and nurses, from independent practices to our largest hospitals, and they were all in agreement on how important this bill is to their work.”
“Our healthcare providers have told us for years that burdensome paperwork takes time away from caring for patients and continues to cause extreme burnout,” said Representative Lori Houghton, Chair of the House Health Care Committee. “H.766 takes a giant step forward in aligning payer requirements to reduce provider burden and ensures health care decisions are made between a patient and their provider, not an insurance company.”