Decades of heavy regulation, price controls, and centralized decision-making have produced a healthcare environment in Vermont where costs continue to rise because competition is stifled, and incentives are misaligned. Dominant providers currently have little incentive to lower prices, and interested competitors face red tape that makes it difficult to enter the market.
Improving healthcare in Vermont requires restoring competition, transparency, and flexibility. Key reforms should focus on reducing regulatory barriers that limit the supply of care:
- Repeal the Certificate of Need (CON) process to remove barriers that prevent providers from entering the market or expanding services.
- Expand the use of reference-based pricing (RBP) to introduce transparent benchmarks and encourage providers to compete on price and quality.
- Broaden access to telehealth by easing licensing restrictions and modernizing reimbursement rules so more clinicians can serve Vermont patients, especially in rural communities.
