Vermont - Catamount Health

In order to address soaring health care costs, Vermont passed the Health Care Affordability Act (H861) in 2006. An integral piece of this reform is a new health insurance program called Catamount Health. This program, a comprehensive model of healthcare, provides affordable coverage for the uninsured by focusing on two major components: better management of chronic care and making health care affordable and accessible.

Since 70 percent of health care costs in Vermont can be attributed to care for chronic condition, the Vermont reform keys in on chronic care management. The act makes chronic care management more accessible by establishing a system including early and coordinated screening for conditions such as diabetes and asthma, better management of chronic care and an emphasis on patient self-management and waiving co-pays for patients who seek appropriate care. Additionally, the act changes the provider reimbursement system to encourage excellence in chronic disease management.

Through Catamount Health, everyone who is uninsured for 12 months or more will have access to, as well as help pay for a comprehensive health insurance package, following a guiding principle that everybody is covered and everybody pays. The plan will be offered by the private sector and subsidized with public funds through a sliding scale for anyone under 300 percent of poverty. The program will be financed with sliding-scale co-pays, tobacco taxes, Medicaid dollars, and an employer assessment. State fiscal obligations are controlled through enrollment caps.

Link to the text of enacted legislation:

Act No. 191 (H. 861) An act relating to health care affordability for Vermonters.

Act No. 190 (H. 895) An act relating to Catamount Health.

Link to the Catamount Health Webpage:
Catamount Health