Blue Cross & Blue Shield of VT and MVP have requested double digit premium rate increases for 2025. It’s vital to share stories about how unaffordable insurance impacts the farming community so we can encourage them to act.

Join our friends at the Vermont Workers Center to share your story at the Green Mountain Care Board's online public comment forum on Thursday July 25th at 4pm. Register for the forum and get the link to join here.

If you can't attend the forum, Vermonters can submit a public comment until Saturday, July 27th. Submit online https://bit.ly/RateReviewComment. Email GMCB.Board@Vermont.gov. Or call (802) 828-2177.

Fundamental changes are needed to ensure that healthcare financing and delivery systems serve the people of Vermont, realize their right to health, and advance equity. We join the call in asking the legislature to fulfill its obligations under Act 48 to finance universal, publicly financed health care, review the state audit of the current All-Payer model that is currently driving up healthcare costs for Vermont residents, and hold public hearings to enable the public to speak directly to the Task Force. Read the full letter, including background and more details on our requests.

This week the Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB) held their annual summer hearings and opportunity for public comment on the 2022 proposed rate increases requested by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont (BCBSVT) and MVP Health Plan (MVP).

For 2022 small group, BCBSVT requested an average annual decrease of 7.8% over 2021 rates, while MVP is requested an average annual increase of 5.0% over 2021 rates. For individual and family plans, BCBSVT requested an average annual increase of 7.9% over 2021 rates, while MVP is requested an average annual increase of 17.0% over 2021 rates.

Read Rural Vermont’s 2021 comments to the GMCB regarding the rate hike hearings.

*Read the condemning audit of Vermont's spending on and the resulting performance of OneCare Vermont that was currently released by the Office of the State Auditor.

Rural Vermont contributed to Farm to Plate and the Agency of Agriculture's Vermont Agriculture and Food Systems Plan in a number of ways. We lead authored the briefs on Healthcare and Childcare, and we were contributing authors on the Agroforestry, Alternative Farmland Ownership, and Policy briefs.