Health Care Reform Implementation

Making quality and affordable health care available for all Vermonters

Act 191 assigns responsibility to the Secretary of Administration for coordination of Vermont's Health Care Reform among the executive branch agencies, departments, and offices in a manner that is timely, patient-centered, and seeks to improve the quality and affordability of health care in Vermont.

As part of this responsibility, the Secretary is required to submit a five-year plan for implementing Vermont’s health care system reform initiatives, together with any recommendations for administration or legislation, to the Governor and legislative committees on or before December 1, 2006. The Secretary also is required to report annually to the General Assembly on the progress of the reform initiatives, beginning on January 15, 2007.

In June, 2006, Susan Besio was appointed as Director of Health Care Reform Implementation in the Secretary of Administration's office to oversee implementation of the state’s health care reform.

The legislation also created the Joint Legislative Commission on Health Care Reform to monitor implementation of health care reform initiatives and recommend to the general assembly actions needed to attain health care reform goals.