Vermont Statutes Title 18. Health, § 9376. Payment amounts; methods

(a) It is the intent of the General Assembly to ensure payments to health care professionals that are consistent with efficiency, economy, and quality of care and will permit them to provide, on a solvent basis, effective and efficient health services that are in the public interest. It is also the intent of the General Assembly to eliminate the shift of costs between the payers of health services to ensure that the amount paid to health care professionals is sufficient to enlist enough providers to ensure that health services are available to all Vermonters and are distributed equitably.

(c) The Board shall approve payment methodologies that encourage cost-containment; provision of high-quality, evidence-based health services in an integrated setting; patient self-management; access to primary care health services for underserved individuals, populations, and areas; and healthy lifestyles. Such methodologies shall be consistent with payment reform and with evidence-based practices, and may include fee-for-service payments if the Board determines such payments to be appropriate.

(d) To the extent required to avoid federal antitrust violations and in furtherance of the policy identified in subsection (a) of this section, the Board shall facilitate and supervise the participation of health care professionals and health care provider bargaining groups in the process described in subsection (b) of this section.