Healthcare (Hospitals)

This bill adds a specific right to Vermont's Patient Bill of Rights, prohibiting hospitals from denying patients admission, care, or services solely based on their vaccination status. It directly affects all hospital patients in Vermont who might otherwise face barriers to care due to their vaccination history. The key provision (Section 19) explicitly states this right within the existing Patient Bill of Rights framework. The law takes effect upon passage, ensuring hospitals must comply with this new standard.

H 228 requires Vermont hospitals to report detailed compensation data for executives, clinical leaders, and frontline healthcare workers (including base salaries, bonuses, and benefits) to the Green Mountain Care Board annually. It mandates that hospitals maintain staffing ratios where administrative staff do not exceed national averages for similar hospitals, and caps executive/clinical leadership compensation at no more than 10 times the pay of the lowest-paid frontline healthcare workers. These requirements will be integrated into the Board’s annual hospital budget review process starting in 2027. The bill applies to all Vermont hospitals and takes effect January 1, 2026, for fiscal year 2027 budgets.