2012 Vermont Statutes
Title 18 Health
Chapter 220 GREEN MOUNTAIN CARE BOARD
§ 9375 Duties

§ 9375. Duties

(a) The board shall execute its duties consistent with the principles expressed in 18 V.S.A. § 9371.

(b) The board shall have the following duties:

(1) Oversee the development and implementation, and evaluate the effectiveness, of health care payment and delivery system reforms designed to control the rate of growth in health care costs and maintain health care quality in Vermont, including ensuring that the payment reform pilot projects set forth in this chapter are consistent with such reforms.

(A) Implement by rule, pursuant to 3 V.S.A. chapter 25, methodologies for achieving payment reform and containing costs, which may include the creation of health care professional cost-containment targets, global payments, bundled payments, global budgets, risk-adjusted capitated payments, or other uniform payment methods and amounts for integrated delivery systems, health care professionals, or other provider arrangements.

(B) Prior to the initial adoption of the rules described in subdivision (A) of this subdivision (1), report the board's proposed methodologies to the house committee on health care and the senate committee on health and welfare.

(C) In developing methodologies pursuant to subdivision (A) of this subdivision (1), engage Vermonters in seeking ways to equitably distribute health services while acknowledging the connection between fair and sustainable payment and access to health care.

(D) Nothing in this subdivision (1) shall be construed to limit the authority of other agencies or departments of state government to engage in additional cost-containment activities to the extent permitted by state and federal law.

(2) Review and approve Vermont's statewide health information technology plan pursuant to section 9351 of this title to ensure that the necessary infrastructure is in place to enable the state to achieve the principles expressed in section 9371 of this title.

(3) Review and approve the health care workforce development strategic plan created in chapter 222 of this title.

(4) Review the health resource allocation plan created in chapter 221 of this title.

(5) Set rates for health care professionals pursuant to section 9376 of this title, to be implemented over time, and make adjustments to the rules on reimbursement methodologies as needed.

(6) Approve, modify, or disapprove requests for health insurance rates pursuant to 8 V.S.A. § 4062 within 30 days of receipt of a request for approval from the commissioner of financial regulation, taking into consideration the requirements in the underlying statutes, changes in health care delivery, changes in payment methods and amounts, and other issues at the discretion of the board;

(7) Review and establish hospital budgets pursuant to chapter 221, subchapter 7 of this title, beginning July 1, 2012.

(8) Review and approve, approve with conditions, or deny applications for certificates of need pursuant to chapter 221, subchapter 5 of this title, beginning January 1, 2013.

(9) Prior to the adoption of rules, review and approve, with recommendations from the commissioner of Vermont health access, the benefit package or packages for qualified health benefit plans pursuant to 33 V.S.A. chapter 18, subchapter 1 no later than January 1, 2013. The board shall report to the house committee on health care and the senate committee on health and welfare within 15 days following its approval of the initial benefit package and any subsequent substantive changes to the benefit package.

(10) Develop and maintain a method for evaluating systemwide performance and quality, including identification of the appropriate process and outcome measures:

(A) for determining public and health care professional satisfaction with the health system;

(B) for utilization of health services;

(C) in consultation with the department of health and the director of the Blueprint for Health, for quality of health services and the effectiveness of prevention and health promotion programs;

(D) for cost-containment and limiting the growth in health care expenditures;

(E) for determining the adequacy of the supply and distribution of health care resources in this state;

(F) to address access to and quality of mental health and substance abuse services; and

(G) for other measures as determined by the board.

(11) Develop the unified health care budget pursuant to section 9375a of this title.

(12) Review data regarding mental health and substance abuse treatment reported to the department of financial regulation pursuant to 8 V.S.A. § 4089b(g)(1)(G) and discuss such information, as appropriate, with the mental health technical advisory group established pursuant to subdivision 9374(e)(2) of this title.

(c) The board shall have the following duties related to Green Mountain Care:

(1) Prior to implementing Green Mountain Care, consider recommendations from the agency of human services, and define the Green Mountain Care benefit package within the parameters established in 33 V.S.A. chapter 18, subchapter 2, to be adopted by the agency by rule.

(2) When providing its recommendations for the benefit package pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection, the agency of human services shall present a report on the benefit package proposal to the house committee on health care and the senate committee on health and welfare. The report shall describe the covered services to be included in the Green Mountain Care benefit package and any cost-sharing requirements. If the general assembly is not in session at the time that the agency makes its recommendations, the agency shall send its report electronically or by first class mail to each member of the house committee on health care and the senate committee on health and welfare.

(3) Prior to implementing Green Mountain Care and annually after implementation, recommend to the general assembly and the governor a three-year Green Mountain Care budget pursuant to 32 V.S.A. chapter 5, to be adjusted annually in response to realized revenues and expenditures, that reflects any modifications to the benefit package and includes recommended appropriations, revenue estimates, and necessary modifications to tax rates and other assessments.

(d) Annually on or before January 15, the board shall submit a report of its activities for the preceding state fiscal year to the house committee on health care and the senate committee on health and welfare. The report shall include any changes to the payment rates for health care professionals pursuant to section 9376 of this title, any new developments with respect to health information technology, the evaluation criteria adopted pursuant to subdivision (b)(8) of this section and any related modifications, the results of the systemwide performance and quality evaluations required by subdivision (b)(8) of this section and any resulting recommendations, the process and outcome measures used in the evaluation, any recommendations for modifications to Vermont statutes, and any actual or anticipated impacts on the work of the board as a result of modifications to federal laws, regulations, or programs. The report shall identify how the work of the board comports with the principles e

xpressed in section 9371 of this title.

(e) All reports prepared by the board shall be available to the public and shall be posted on the board's website. (Added 2011, No. 48, § 3, eff. May 26, 2011; amended 2011, No. 171 (Adj. Sess.), § 12, eff. May 16, 2012.)