Vermont
- May 3, 2012 | from VT Digger Vaccine bill passes House — with full philosophical exemption In a landslide, the Vermont House voted to continue allowing parents to use a philosophical exemption to opt out of vaccinating their children.
- May 2, 2012 | from WCAX.com Health care reform passes in Vt A conference committee of Vermont legislators has agreed to a final version of an exchange authorizing bill. The bill would allow Vermont to move forward with implementation of the Affordable Care Act with the long-term goal of a single payer system.
- April 30, 2012 | from VT Digger Conference committee agrees on vaccination compromise Members of a House-Senate conference committee in Vermont signed a report Monday that would allow parents to continue to opt not to have their children vaccinated for certain diseases based on a philosophical exemption.
- April 22, 2012 | from Washington Post Vermont lawmakers, parents at loggerheads over philosophical exemption for kids’ vaccines Vermont is currently debating whether or not to abolish the philosophical objection opt out for the state's vaccination requirements. The House has voted to keep the exemption while the Senate has voted to abolish.
- April 5, 2012 | from WAMC VT House Panel Nixes Senate Vaccination Change A Vermont House Committee has adopted a modified version of a bill related to vaccination, which, unlike the Senate version of the bill maintains the philosophical objection language allowing parents to opt out on general philosophical grounds.
- March 29, 2012 | from Burlington Free Press Immunization debate hits fevered pitch in Vermont Statehouse The debate surrounding the elimination of a controversial exemption for parents to skip school and daycare-required immunizations for their children on philosophical grounds continues on at the Vermont Statehouse, where doctors and parents each weigh in.
- March 9, 2012 | from VT Digger Davis: How sweet it is? This op-ed discusses the link between sugar sweetened beverages and obesity and expresses support for Vermont's proposed penny per ounce excise tax on sugar sweetened beverages.
- March 2, 2012 | from VT Digger $10 million autism budget buster reduced to $500,000 Plans to expand autism coverage in private insurance and medicaid vastly overestimated the cost of services, according to a new legislative review. In response, a new bill was filed that would require coverage and has been approved by a Senate committee.
- March 2, 2012 | from Burlington Free Press Vermont Senate endorses change in immunization exemptions The Vermont Senate voted to remove language allowing parents to opt-out of vaccines for philosophical reasons, parents would still be able to abstain for religious or medical reasons. The bill was motivated by Vermont's lagging vaccination rates.
- February 29, 2012 | from VT Digger Sanders holds hearing on dental crisis in America, points to Vermont successes Sen. Bernie Sanders, presenting a new study highlighting the many shortcomings of child and adult dental health in the US today, pointed to the recent progress that Vermont has made and the model it provides other states.
- February 28, 2012 | from VT Digger Parents hold fast to exemption for vaccines Parents in Vermont who don’t want their children to be vaccinated are fighting the elimination of a “philosophical exemption," creating a debate which pits public health policy against tightly-held parental rights.
- February 25, 2012 | from Vermont Public Radio Study Linking Sugar, Obesity Revives Interest In Soda Tax A new study linking many expensive health problems to obesity has raised interest in a bill that would tax sugar sweetened beverages in Vermont.
- February 22, 2012 | from VT Digger Democrats, Republicans draw battle lines on House health care debate As the House health care reform bill H. 559 heads to the floor for debate in Vermont, the issue of the health insurance exchange continues to be a sticking point as both sides of the issue begin framing their strategies.
- January 16, 2012 | from Burlington Free Press Vermont lawmakers try to boost vaccination rates Vermont lawmakers are considering tightening the rules on exemptions for vaccines. The vaccination rate in Vermont has dropped in recent years and is now below the national average. This year has also seen an outbreak of whooping cough in the state.
- February 2, 2012 | from VT Digger Parents, advocates say autism insurance mandate falls short A proposed bill in Vermont aims to remove the age cap, currently set at 6 years old, for mandatory private insurance coverage of autism therapies.
- January 11, 2012 | from Alliance for a Healthier Vermont New study finds improved health and cost savings from penny an ounce sugar sweetened beverage excise tax A new study on the health benefits of a national penny per ounce tax on sugar sweetened beverages has lead to renewed calls from Vermont advocates to institute the tax in Vermont.
- November 19, 2011 | from VT Digger Shumlin administration misused emergency rulemaking process, legislators say Vermont legislators have objected the administration's use of emergency rulemaking process to alter the procedure for how children on publicly funded health insurance are referred to physical, speech, and occupational therapy.
- November 10, 2011 | from VT Digger Gobeille: In the business of health care reform The second in the VT Digger's series on members of Vermont's Green Mountain Care Board featuring Al Gobeille.
- November 7, 2011 | from VT Digger Anya Rader Wallack tackles health care reform, again This is the first in a five part series from VT Digger profiling members of Vermont's Green Mountain Care Board.
- November 2, 2011 | from Seven Days Health Care Providers Take a Shot at Increasing Childhood Immunizations Over 250 providers, school staff, and more gathered together last week for the Vermont immunization conference, to discuss why Vermont's immunization rates have fallen and how to reverse the trend.
- November 2, 2011 | from VT Digger Universal health care plan could save $1.834 billion A new report released by the Vermont legislative Joint Fiscal Office and the Department of Banking, Insurance, Securities and Health Care Administration estimates that the new Vermont health reform law could save the state up to 1.8 billion by 2020.
- October 2, 2011 | from Kaiser Health News Vermont Edges Toward Single Payer Health Care As Vermont's Green Mountain Care board is officially launched Kaiser Health News examines the meaning of the Vermont health reform law and the upcoming steps in designing the program.
- September 9, 2011 | from Vermont Public Radio Flood Damaged Households Eligible For Extra Food Benefits Vermont's Department of Children and Families is letting families who receive food benefits know that if their food was lost or damaged during Hurricane Irene, they are eligible for replacement benefits.
- August 26, 2011 | from VTDigger.org Reed: Medicaid at risk in the federal deficit reduction fight In this op-ed Sheila Reed of Voices for Vermont's Children discusses the need to preserve Medicaid and protect vulnerable populations in the deficit reduction debate.
- July 29, 2011 | from Wall Street Journal Sen. Sanders - Why Americans are so angry In an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, Senator Sanders of Vermont shares his views on the current debt ceiling debate and his concerns for targeting vulnerable groups, including children, for cuts in the proposed deficit reduction plans.
- June 23, 2011 | from Burlington Free Press Farm to school is flourishing in Vermont Over the past decade, 60 percent of Vermont schools have started a Farm to School program and the adoption rate is accelerating.
- May 6, 2011 | from VTDigger.org VPIRG: "Children will breathe easier" as a result of "green" cleaning product bill Today, the Vermont House of Representatives passed S.92, a bill that requires manufacturers or distributors of cleaning products to only sell environmentally preferable cleaning products to schools.
- April 26, 2011 | from WAMC Poll Shows Support for Tax If Funds Directed to Health Care Programs Vermonters were asked if they supported a proposed one-cent per ounce tax on sugar-sweetened beverages. 27-point-6 percent strongly oppose the idea, while 27-point-2 percent strongly favor it.
- April 26, 2011 | from VTDigger.org Sanders highlights expanding reach of dental care provided by Vermont's community health centers U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today met with health care providers to discuss the future of community health centers, which provide primary care, dental care, low-cost prescription drugs and mental health counseling to more than 110,000 Vermonters.
- April 26, 2011 | from Burlington Free Press Senate gives initial approval to universal health care Sen. Peter Galbraith, D-Windham, ran for the state Senate to be able to support a bill setting Vermont on a course toward a more consolidated health care system guaranteeing coverage to every Vermonter, he said Monday. "This is a historic day," Galbraith
- April 7, 2011 | from WCAX.com Medicaid changes put the pinch on Vt. families Medicaid is a program funded with state and federal dollars. It's long been at the center of a fiscal debate. Gov. Peter Shumlin is pushing for cost savings, providing care for less money.
- April 6, 2011 | from Burlington Free Press My Turn: 3SquaresVT program proven to improve health 3SquaresVT serves more than 90,000 of our neighbors -- that is more than one in seven Vermont households.
- March 23, 2011 | from Vermont Public Radio House Gives Preliminary Approval To Health Care Bill The Vermont House gave preliminary approval to health care reform legislation that's designed to put the state on the path toward a single payer system.
- March 31, 2011 | from PRWeb Vermont Kids' Videos Show Fitness, Promote Health and Earn Prizes Children produced video announcements for the Vermont Fit and Healthy Kids Winter Challenge video contest, presented by the Vermont Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.
- February 23, 2011 | from WPTZ.com More Vt. Kids Seeing The Dentist Vermont dentists are pushing parents to get their children scheduled for dental exams long before pre-school, and say the barriers, even for kids from low income families, are coming down.
- February 9, 2011 | from Kaiser Health News Vermont Gov. Proposes Single-Payer Health Plan Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin, who was elected last November after promising to reform health care in the state, unveiled a bill today that would abolish most forms of private health insurance and move state residents into a publicly funded insurance pool.
- February 3, 2011 | from Media Newswire Gov. Peter Shumlin applauds Vermont's national ranking for ensuring children's health care access A new national study has ranked Vermont among the top states in the nation for ensuring children have quality health care and 'the potential to lead healthy lives,' Gov. Peter Shumlin announced today.
- February 2, 2011 | from NECN Vt. anti-tobacco lobby wants $1-a-pack tax hike Vermont's anti-tobacco forces are pressing lawmakers to boost the state's per-pack tax - now $2.24 - in hopes of offsetting planned budget cuts to anti-tobacco efforts, raising more money for the state and discouraging people from lighting up.
- January 31, 2011 | from change.org A Penny for Your Health? Vermont Soda Tax Could Curb Obesity State legislators and advocacy groups have come up with way to at least partially curb the rising tide, and all they are asking for is a penny. A penny-an-ounce soda tax, that is.
- January 31, 2011 | from Valley News Health Care In Vermont: A Guide for the Legislature Vermont paid $300,000 for an assessment of its health reform options by a team of 20 led by William Hsiao, a professor of economics at the Harvard School of Public Health. It was money well spent.
- January 21, 2011 | from Valley News Vermonters' Health Plan Proposed A leading economist hired by the Vermont Legislature to devise a new health-care system yesterday recommended that the state adopt a public-private single-payer system that would be financed through a payroll tax on employers and workers, rather than thro
- January 20, 2011 | from Dentistry IQ Sanders Tours School Dental Clinic Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today visited a school dental clinic at Missisquoi Valley Union High School. The clinic, run by the Northern Tier Community Health Center, serves students and others in this Franklin County community.
- January 13, 2011 | from vermontbiz.com Vermont gets $3.1 million from HUD to make low-income housing safer and healthier The US Department of Housing and Urban Development today awarded $3,100,000 in grants to Vermont Housing and Conservation Board to conduct a wide range of activities intended to protect children and families from potentially dangerous lead-based paint and
- January 10, 2011 | from Vermont Public Radio Lawmakers Will Debate Soda Tax In Upcoming Session One of the big tax issues of the upcoming legislative session will be a battle over a proposed tax on sugar-sweetened beverages like soda and sports drinks.
- January 5, 2011 | from The University of Vermont VCHIP Perinatal Project Receives 2010 Champion for Babies Award The Perinatal Project of the Vermont Child Health Improvement Program (VCHIP) in the University of Vermont Department of Pediatrics was selected as the 2010 Champion for Babies by the March of Dimes Vermont Chapter.
- December 30, 2010 | from Examiner.com Soda tax in Vermont? A coalition known as the "Alliance for a Healthier Vermont" has namely begun lobbying for a penny-per-ounce tax on "sugar sweetened beverages" following a November proposal by state Attorney General William Sorrell to consider such a measure.
- December 29, 2010 | from Stateline In Vermont, single-payer health care in a single state Congress never really considered a single-payer health plan run by the government. Vermont is planning for one. This isn't some liberal fantasy. Vermont lawmakers are serious.
- December 7, 2010 | from WCAX.com Vermont again ranked as healthiest state Vermont is once again the healthiest state in the country. The 21st annual America's Health Rankings places Vermont at the top of the list, with Massachusetts second and New Hampshire third. New York claims spot 24 and Mississippi comes in last.
- December 6, 2010 | from WPTZ.com Vermont Doctors Throw Weight Behind Sugary Tax Surrounded by hundreds of sugary drinks Friday, a newly formed alliance of doctors and health care professionals pledged their support for a beverage tax in Vermont.
- November 22, 2010 | from The Keene Sentinel Vermont, 7 others get health care flexibility The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said Tuesday it will invest federal dollars in a Vermont program that aims to cut costs and improve patient outcomes by rewarding the quality of care instead of the sheer volume of services provided.
- November 22, 2010 | from VTdigger.org Coalition launches dental care program for Vermonters Voices for Vermont's Children and the Vermont Campaign for Health Care Security are leading the effort to build a consumer voice and raise public awareness of the need for better access to affordable oral health care.
- November 18, 2010 | from Fletcher Allen blog Dr. Lewis First: Being Thankful For "Our" Vermont Children's Hospital Vermont Children's Hospital at Fletcher Allen Health Care has created Family Advisory Committees for inpatient facilities, an oversight Advisory Council, and recently appointed a new Director of Quality.
- November 17, 2010 | from Fox 44 News Vermont Takes Steps To Protect Children Vermont meet are working to meet the requirements under a law enacted last year called Act One, designed to improve the state's response to child sexual assault.
- October 7, 2010 | from WCAX.com Shumlin, Dubie on the future of Dr. Dynasaur Peter Shumlin and Brian Dubie are actually agreeing on something. Both candidates for governor said Wednesday, they are committed to funding Doctor Dynasaur.
- October 4, 2010 | from NECN Vt. senators 2nd best for kids, Welch not on list A national children's group has given Vermont's two U.S. Senators its second-best honor for their support of legislation favorable to kids. Vermont's lone congressman didn't make the list.
- September 22, 2010 | from Burlington Free Press Vermont health officials urge child immunizations Vermont's steady decline in early-childhood immunization rates prompted state health officials Tuesday to redouble a message to parents: Shots work, and they're safe.
- September 3, 2010 | from Burlington Free Press Nurse, Shelburne Farms fight child obesity Twelve percent of Vermont students in grades 8-12 were obese in 2009 -- up from 8 percent in 1999, according to the Vermont Department of the Health. Nationally, childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years, according to the federal Center
- August 9, 2010 | from Office of United States Senator Patrick Leahy Senate Votes To Revamp School Lunch Program To Counter Child Obesity And Promote Healthier Meals The Senate child nutrition reauthorization includes Senator Leahy's plan to multiply farm to school links.
- July 29, 2010 | from Fox 44 News Let's Move! Heads to Vermont The Vermont Department of Health is taking a state program to battle obesity, called Fit and Healthy Vermonters, and merging it with a national campaign.
- July 26, 2010 | from The Bennington Banner Vermont third in wellness study CONCORD, N.H. -- New Hampshire again ranks No. 1 nationally in an annual survey on children's well-being. But the numbers also indicate a growing problem in the state: poverty.
- June 4, 2010 | from BNA's Health Care Daily Report Vermont Law Requires Insurers Cover Autism Treatment for Young Children Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas (R) May 27 signed into law a bill (S. 262) requiring insurers to provide coverage for diagnosis and treatment of autism in preschool children beginning in 2011.
- May 27, 2010 | from Vermont Public Radio Federal Provision Could Affect Catamount Health Program Health Care advocates say they're concerned that a provision of the new federal health care law that allows parents to keep their children on their family policy until the child turns 26 could jeopardize the financial stability of Vermont's Catamount Heal
- May 27, 2010 | from WCAX.com Study: Vt. kids on Medicaid lack proper care A new study says Vermont children on Medicaid aren't receiving proper medical care.
- May 24, 2010 | from newsinferno.com Vermont Institutes Latest BPA Ban This week, Vermont Governor James Douglas signed into law what is considered to be among this country's most stringent bans on food containers manufactured with bisphenol A.
- May 5, 2010 | from Seven Days VT House Considers Bill Mandating Better Insurance Coverage for Autistic Children The House Committee on Health Care favorably passed an autism insurance bill.
- March 1, 2010 | from The Times Argus State targets obesity The Vermont state Health Department and the Attorney General's office has jump-started efforts to encourage people to exercise, improve their daily diets, and hold down health care costs in the process.
- February 11, 2010 | from The Associated Press 'Farm To School' Program Changes Kids' Views On Food Sharon Elementary School is part of the National Farm to School Network, aimed at getting healthier meals into school cafeterias, teaching kids about agriculture and nutrition and supporting local farmers.
- November 18, 2009 | from Burlington Free Press Vermont tops list of healthiest states Vermont either retained or reclaimed its title as the healthiest state -- depending on how you measure.
- November 18, 2009 | from Burlington Free Press Vermont lawmakers work on health care bill Even as potential changes to health care coverage continue to burble in Washington, efforts are brewing in Vermont to push for legislation that would take the state closer to a single-payer, government-run system.
- November 10, 2009 | from Burlington Free Press Sanders: Keep public option in Senate bill As the spotlight on health care reform shifts from the House to the more conservative Senate, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., will be pushing for a hard left turn in the form of a single-payer system.
- October 21, 2009 | from Burlington Free Press Let insurance cover kids to age 27, Welch says Under legislation Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., expects will be added to the big health reform package pending in Congress, insurance companies would have to allow parents the choice to continue to cover their children under their health insurance policies unt
- October 9, 2009 | from WebMD Health News Vermont Tops List of Best Health Systems As the debate over health reform rages on, Vermonters can rejoice: Their state has the best-performing health system in the nation.
- October 7, 2009 | from Vermontbiz.com Vermont Medical Society to tackle costs, childhood obesity The Vermont Medical Society (VMS) last weekend adopted policy resolutions that will lead to the organization tackling a number of key health care issues in the upcoming year, including reducing the rising costs of health care and preventing childhood obes
- September 15, 2009 | from WCAX.com Fight for Paid Sick Time A coalition of Vermont organizations wants to mandate paid sick time for Vermont workers.
- September 12, 2009 | from The Times Argus Vermont extends health pact with feds The state will extend its successful partnership with the federal government on health insurance, continuing a program that sets a cap on federal funds but allows the state considerable flexibility on how the monies are spent.
- July 29, 2009 | from The Rutland Herald Vt. ranks well in kid study Vermont is ranked eighth among states by the Annie E. Casey Foundation's Kids Count report, and it is normally among the top 10.
- July 28, 2009 | from WCAX.com N.H., Vt. Rank High for Raising Kids The annual Kids Count survey by the Annie E. Casey Foundation ranked Vermont eighth in the nation.
- July 6, 2009 | from Brattleboro Reformer State ranks in top 10 for obesity prevention Vermont's obesity rate inched up slightly for the second year in a row, but the state is still among the healthiest in the nation, according to a report issued Wednesday.
- June 11, 2009 | from Brattleboro Reformer Vermont's Workers Need Paid Sick Time It seems like a relatively simple thing. If you get sick, you shouldn't have to choose between safeguarding your health or getting paid.
- May 28, 2009 | from TimesArgus.com Coalition to push for sick pay Several Vermont organizations and a handful of lawmakers vowed Wednesday to push for a new law in the 2010 Legislative session that would give many more workers in the state paid sick days off.
- February 9, 2009 | from The Times Argus Thankful for SCHIP hike Now that Congress has passed child health legislation, they should keep going.
- January 27, 2009 | from MSNBC.com Vermonters Respond To Governor's Budget Human services advocates Friday railed against Gov. Jim Douglas' proposed budget for the coming year, which they charge favors the rich over Vermont's most vulnerable citizens.
- December 6, 2008 | from Bennington Banner Vermont ranked as healthiest state in U.S. The United Health Foundation has named Vermont the nation's healthiest state as part of its annual "America's Health Rankings," though it noted overall health in the country had failed to improve.
- May 8, 2008 | from Office of the Governor Vermont Ranks #1 for Overall Child Well-Being in Nationwide Report A nationwide report released last month by the Washington, D.C.-based Every Child Matters Education Fund (ECMEF), entitled Geography Matters: Child Well-Being in the States has ranked Vermont the #1 state in the country for overall child well-being.
- March 1, 2007 | from Channel 3 News/WCAX.com Dr. Dynasaur Cut? Children's health advocates in Vermont are calling for the reauthorization of the federal program that funds Dr. Dynasaur.
