House Committee on Health Care

AGENDA

Room 42 and Zoom

January 27, 2026 - January 30, 2026

Last Updated 1/30/2026 2:58 PM

Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are livestreamed at

https://legislature.vermont.gov/committee/streaming/house-health-care.

Tuesday, January 27, 2026

10:00 AM                   House Floor

12:00 PM                   Lunch

1:00 PM                   H. 583 - An act relating to health care financial transactions and clinical decision making

Testimony

Chip Holmes, Executive Vice President, Hospital Operations, Ovation Health Care

2:15 PM                   Break

2:30 PM                   H. 583 - An act relating to health care financial transactions and clinical decision making

Testimony

Jessa Barnard, Executive Director, Vermont Medical Society

Susan Ridzon, Executive Director, Healthfirst, Inc.

Chris D'Elia, President, Vermont Bankers' Association

3:30 PM                   Adjourn

Wednesday, January 28, 2026

9:00 AM                   H. 585 - An act relating to health insurance reforms

Walk-through

Jennifer Carbee, Deputy Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

9:30 AM                   H. 585 - An act relating to health insurance reforms

Testimony - Plan Options for Vermonters

Jennifer Carbee, Deputy Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Kaj Samsom, Commissioner, Department of Financial Regulation

Mary Block, Deputy Commissioner of Insurance, Department of Financial Regulation - Zoom

10:30 AM                   Break

10:45 AM                   H. 585 - An act relating to health insurance reforms

Testimony - Plan Options for Vermonters, Cntd.

Chelsea Bardot Lewis, Executive Director, Vermont Business for Social Responsibility (VBSR)

Emma Paradis, Common Good Vermont Co-Director, United Way of Northwest Vermont

Megan Sullivan, Vice President of Government Affairs, Vermont Chamber of Commerce

Mike Fisher, Chief Health Care Advocate, Vermont Legal Aid

Mary Block, Deputy Commissioner of Insurance, Department of Financial Regulation - Zoom

Kaj Samsom, Commissioner, Department of Financial Regulation

12:00 PM                   Lunch

1:00 PM                   H. 585 - An act relating to health insurance reforms

Testimony - Efficient Service Delivery

Jennifer Carbee, Deputy Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Sharon Gutwin, Owner, RehabGYM and Kismet Place

Kaj Samsom, Commissioner, Department of Financial Regulation

Mary Block, Deputy Commissioner of Insurance, Department of Financial Regulation - Zoom

Joe Valenti, Director of Policy, Department of Financial Regulation - Zoom

Adaline Strumolo, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Vermont Health Access (DVHA) - Zoom

Devon Green, Senior Vice President of Policy and Strategy, Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems

Jessa Barnard, Executive Director, Vermont Medical Society

3:15 PM                   Break

3:30 PM                   House Floor

After Floor                         Adjourn

Thursday, January 29, 2026

9:00 AM                   Mental Health Advocacy Day

The value of low barrier peer based mental health support and mental health urgent care programs

Kathleen Kilbourne, Events and Fundraising Coordinator, NAMI Vermont

Alexander Smith, Director, Adult Mental Health Services, Counseling Services of Addison County

Tyler Sears, A person with lived experience, Vermonters for Criminal Justice Reform - Zoom

10:00 AM                   Governor's Proposed FY2027 Budget

Department of Health

Dr. Rick Hildebrant, MD, Commissioner, Department of Health

Megan Hoke, Financial Director, Department of Health

11:00 AM                   H. 585 - An act relating to health insurance reforms

Testimony

Owen Foster, J.D., Chair, Green Mountain Care Board

Emily Brown, Exective Director, Green Mountain Care Board

12:00 PM                   Lunch

1:00 PM                   Mental Health Advocacy Day

DA/SSA overview and the mental health landscape

Amy Johnson, Government Affairs & Communications Director, Vermont Care Partners

Simone Rueschemeyer, Executive  Director, Vermont Care Partners

Kelsey Stavseth, Executive Director, Northeast Kingdom Human Services

2:00 PM                   Break

2:15 PM                   H. 577 - An act relating to establishing the Vermont Prescription Drug Discount Card Program

Committee discussion

Jennifer Carbee, Deputy Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

2:30 PM                   H. 611 - An act relating to miscellaneous provisions affecting the Department of Vermont Health Access

Testimony

Jennifer Carbee, Deputy Chief Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Ashley Berliner, Director of Medicaid Policy, Agency of Human Services - Zoom

Mike Fisher, Chief Health Care Advocate, Vermont Legal Aid

Emma Zavez, Consumer Research and Health Policy Analyst, Office of the Health Care Advocate, Vermont Legal Aid - Zoom

2:45 PM                   Break

3:00 PM                   H. 611 - An act relating to miscellaneous provisions affecting the Department of Vermont Health Access

Vote

3:10 PM                   Break

3:30 PM                   House Floor

After Floor                         Adjourn

Friday, January 30, 2026

9:30 AM                   House Floor

10:30 AM                   Governor's Proposed FY2027 Budget

Department of Mental Health

Emily Hawes, Commissioner, Department of Mental Health

Samantha Sweet, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Mental Health

11:30 AM                   H. 577 - An act relating to establishing the Vermont Prescription Drug Discount Card Program

Testimony

Sebastian Arduengo, Assistant General Counsel, Department of Financial Regulation

Trevor Douglass, DC, MPH, ArrayRx Steering Committee Member, Oregon Health Authority - Zoom

Lauren Bode, PharmD, BCPS, CDCES, Legislative Liaison, Vermont Pharmacists Association (VPA) - Zoom

Ryan Quinn, PharmD, Pharmacist, Lakeside Pharmacy, Vermont Pharmacists Association (VPA) - Zoom

Peter Trombley, Special Advisor to the Treasurer, Office of the State Treasurer

12:30 PM                   Lunch

1:00 PM                   H. 583 - An act relating to health care financial transactions and clinical decision making

Testimony

Michael Fenne, J.D., Senior Research and Campaign Coordinator, Private Equity Stakeholder Project (PESP) - Zoom

Yashaswini Singh, Ph.D., Researcher, Brown University - Zoom

Erin Fuse Brown, J.D., M.P.H., Researcher, Brown University - Zoom

3:00 PM                   Adjourn

ATTENTION WITNESSES

Please email handouts to the committee assistant at least 24 hours before your scheduled meeting time. With few exceptions, any documents you send to a committee assistant are open to the public and may be posted to the committee’s web page.

Should you require accessibility services, please click here and note that requests should be made 48 hours in advance of testimony.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact

 Tasha Kleppner at Tasha.Kleppner@vtleg.gov