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Bill

H 82

An act relating to establishing the Division of Planning and Evaluation and strengthening the regulatory capacity of the Green Mountain Care Board

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Conor Casey and 1 co-sponsor

Creates a new Division of Planning and Evaluation and strengthens the Green Mountain Care Board to use data-driven planning, evaluation, and regulatory tools for Vermont health car

Read first time and referred to the Committee on Health Care
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · H 82

Bill overview

H 82 (Session 2025-2026, Vermont) proposes establishing the Division of Planning and Evaluation and strengthening the regulatory capacity of the Green Mountain Care Board. The bill aims to formalize planning, evaluation, and oversight functions to support health care policy, planning, and regulation in Vermont.

Purpose and intent

  • Create a dedicated Division of Planning and Evaluation to systematically assess health care programs, policies, and regulatory outcomes.
  • Enhance the regulatory capacity and effectiveness of the Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB), Vermont’s health care regulation body.
  • Improve data-driven decision-making, accountability, and long-range planning for health care costs, access, quality, and overall system performance.

Key provisions and changes

  • Establishment of the Division of Planning and Evaluation:
    • Create a new organizational unit within or aligned with state health care governance to conduct planning activities and evaluations of health care programs, services, and regulatory impacts.
    • Provide staff, resources, and authority for planning processes, performance measurement, and policy analysis.
  • Strengthening GMCB regulatory capacity:
    • Expand GMCB’s ability to regulate, monitor, and evaluate health care providers, insurers, and systems under its jurisdiction.
    • Potential enhancements to regulatory tools, data collection, and analytic capabilities to support decision-making on rate reviews, certificates of need, and health care quality initiatives.
  • Data, reporting, and accountability:
    • Define requirements for data collection, reporting timelines, and public disclosure of findings.
    • Establish performance metrics and regular reporting to the Legislature and public.
  • Planning and evaluation processes:
    • Implement formal planning cycles (short-, medium-, and long-term) for health care policy and regulatory initiatives.
    • Require periodic evaluations of programs and regulations with recommendations for adjustments or sunset/renewal considerations.
  • Governance and administration:
    • Outline organizational structure, reporting lines, and funding mechanisms for the new Division and enhanced GMCB activities.
    • Clarify roles and responsibilities of GMCB board members, staff, and affiliated agencies in planning and evaluation work.

Who would be affected

  • Green Mountain Care Board: Expanded regulatory capacity, new data and analytic responsibilities, and potential shifts in workload and processes.
  • State agencies involved in health care policy and planning: Interaction with the Division of Planning and Evaluation for coordinated oversight and reporting.
  • Health care providers, insurers, and patients: Indirect effects through more robust regulatory evaluation, potentially influencing rate decisions, service standards, and program effectiveness.
  • Legislative oversight: Increased availability of evaluated data and planning outputs to inform policy decisions and budget considerations.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Status: Read first time and referred to the Committee on Health Care (January 24, 2025).
  • Next steps typically include committee hearings, stakeholder briefings, potential amendments, and eventual movement to the floor for votes.
  • Timelines for implementation would depend on committee action and eventual enactment, including potential phased deployment of the Division and GMCB capacity enhancements.

Potential impacts and considerations

  • Positive implications:
    • More rigorous, data-driven health care planning and regulation.
    • Improved transparency and public accountability through regular reporting.
    • Enhanced ability to anticipate trends, costs, and access issues, informing policy choices.
  • Potential challenges:
    • Resource needs to staff and operate the new Division and expanded GMCB functions.
    • Integration with existing agencies and ensuring clear lines of authority and coordination.
    • Managing transition and avoiding duplication of efforts across agencies.

If you’d like, I can adapt this summary to emphasize specific sections (e.g., fiscal impact, regulatory powers, or public input processes) or compare it to similar prior Vermont initiatives.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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