Senate Health & Welfare reviews budget-adjustment changes for health services, flags transport and nursing-home relief
February 07, 2026 | Health & Welfare, SENATE, Committees, Legislative , Vermont
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Senate Health and Welfare members heard a briefing on the House-passed budget adjustment Friday, with staff summarizing a string of targeted changes for health and social services.
Staff said the House added a $45,000 general-fund increase for HIV and harm-reduction providers "above what the governor recommended," and separately approved a $30,000 boost for Meals on Wheels (SEG 097–104; SEG 105–110). The presenter also described a $14.5 million extraordinary financial-relief request for nursing homes that the House reduced by roughly $2.3 million and partly reallocated into rate increases for enhanced residential providers and case managers (SEG 111–119). "The House reduced that by $2,300,000," the presenter said.
The committee was told the bill includes a one-time, section-51 appropriation of $800,000 to help nonemergency medical transportation providers cover a shortfall driven in part by practice closures and higher operating costs. "This is to help with the shortfall for the providers," a staff member said, explaining the money will help backfill fiscal-year 2026 deficits (SEG 120–139). Staff clarified that the one-time transportation funds could cover vehicles, volunteer expenses or operating costs.
Other House additions highlighted by staff included a $167,000 one-time planning appropriation for the Bridges to Health program, a list of line-item allocations to true up recovery centers' FY26 budgets, and a $400,000 add to the governor's proposal for the Vermont Food Bank (bringing it to $900,000 for FY26) (SEG 141–150; SEG 151–160; SEG 244–249). Staff also noted a $390,000 contract increase for traveling nurses and roughly $1.3 million for housing-opportunity partners (SEG 384–412).
Committee members pressed for details on the long-term-care and home- and community-based services rates. A legislator recalled that a 2% increase was adopted last year based on a rate study but said implementation unintentionally reduced some providers' rates; staff said the BAA language aims to hold those providers harmless and would annualize about $1 million into the FY27 baseline if adopted (SEG 213–235).
On administration and technical items, staff described funding to migrate the Health Connect system to a cloud platform to meet federal compliance, and confirmed that one-time line items in the House package are not eligible to be charged to the rural health transformation federal grants (SEG 482–487; SEG 489–499).
The committee did not take final votes during the session; staff urged members to flag any provisions they cannot support as senators prepare to review the full BAA on the Senate Appropriations webpage. Committee leadership said members will continue discussion and aim to return for further action on Tuesday.
Staff said the House added a $45,000 general-fund increase for HIV and harm-reduction providers "above what the governor recommended," and separately approved a $30,000 boost for Meals on Wheels (SEG 097–104; SEG 105–110). The presenter also described a $14.5 million extraordinary financial-relief request for nursing homes that the House reduced by roughly $2.3 million and partly reallocated into rate increases for enhanced residential providers and case managers (SEG 111–119). "The House reduced that by $2,300,000," the presenter said.
The committee was told the bill includes a one-time, section-51 appropriation of $800,000 to help nonemergency medical transportation providers cover a shortfall driven in part by practice closures and higher operating costs. "This is to help with the shortfall for the providers," a staff member said, explaining the money will help backfill fiscal-year 2026 deficits (SEG 120–139). Staff clarified that the one-time transportation funds could cover vehicles, volunteer expenses or operating costs.
Other House additions highlighted by staff included a $167,000 one-time planning appropriation for the Bridges to Health program, a list of line-item allocations to true up recovery centers' FY26 budgets, and a $400,000 add to the governor's proposal for the Vermont Food Bank (bringing it to $900,000 for FY26) (SEG 141–150; SEG 151–160; SEG 244–249). Staff also noted a $390,000 contract increase for traveling nurses and roughly $1.3 million for housing-opportunity partners (SEG 384–412).
Committee members pressed for details on the long-term-care and home- and community-based services rates. A legislator recalled that a 2% increase was adopted last year based on a rate study but said implementation unintentionally reduced some providers' rates; staff said the BAA language aims to hold those providers harmless and would annualize about $1 million into the FY27 baseline if adopted (SEG 213–235).
On administration and technical items, staff described funding to migrate the Health Connect system to a cloud platform to meet federal compliance, and confirmed that one-time line items in the House package are not eligible to be charged to the rural health transformation federal grants (SEG 482–487; SEG 489–499).
The committee did not take final votes during the session; staff urged members to flag any provisions they cannot support as senators prepare to review the full BAA on the Senate Appropriations webpage. Committee leadership said members will continue discussion and aim to return for further action on Tuesday.
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