Green Mountain Care Board approves all-payer model

The Green Mountain Care Board voted Wednesday morning to approve the all-payer waiver, giving the go-ahead for the state to implement a model the governor says will curb rising health care costs.

Gov. Peter Shumlin has been travelling the state in recent weeks to promote the initiative. Under an all-payer model, providers are paid set amounts for care, rather than being paid per test, service or procedure. Al Gobeille, the chairman of the Green Mountain Care Board, said the new way of paying health care providers will save Vermont $10 billion over the next 10 years.

All-payer will also increase the amount of time patients are able to spend with their doctors and will place an emphasis on preventative care, according to Shumlin and Gobeille.

"By shifting the focus away from the current fee-for-service system to one that rewards primary care and prevention, we will help Vermonters lead healthier lives and more effectively manage chronic diseases, allow doctors to better treat their patients and identify health issues before they become severe, and reduce costs in a health care system that, if left unchecked, will bankrupt our state and Vermont families," Shumlin said in an emailed statement sent out after the board's vote.

Read more: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/news/politics/2016/10/26/green-mountain-care-board-approves-all-payer-model/92764390/