Committee works to meets vulnerable Vermonters’ needs

One place we decided to recommend an increase was $2.1 million in additional funding to the adult day providers like Out in About, here in our community. These small nonprofits are important providers of support to older Vermonters. Over the course of the pandemic, five adult day providers have gone out of business across the state, and all are operating at a reduced capacity. This is primarily due to staffing issues and a federal funding reimbursement model that, quite honestly, is not sustainable.

There is a report due out this month that looks at alternative funding models to make sure more of these agencies do not go out of business. It will be helpful as we look at next year’s budget.

Policy committees like the one I serve on work with a member of the appropriations committee and take a deep dive into the budget. At first pass I’m glad to see that there are additional funds to home health agencies, as well as a sunsetting of the provider tax. The sunset will relieve a $6.1 million burden on these providers. On the cut side, I will have to understand better why there is a $2 million cut to “choices for care moderate needs.” These are the supports that help to keep people in their homes and out of nursing homes.

This coming week our committee will take testimony on a bill that I introduced with representatives Theresa Wood and Jessica Brumsted that amends adult protective services statutes for investigating allegations of abuse, neglect and exploitation of vulnerable adults. The 57-page bill updates statute, some that is decades old. It changes definitions for abuse, exploitation and neglect, but not self-neglect, an issue that we still must deal with. It streamlines the list of mandatory reporters, how reports should be made, what evidence is needed, among other things. As with any bill, where we start and where we end up will change.

This week I entered two bills with support from Democrats, Republicans, Progressives and Independents. One is H.109, with 38 additional sponsors, that increases the Meals on Wheels reimbursement rate. The other bill will not be assigned a number until Tuesday but has just as many additional sponsors. It creates a statewide Alzheimer’s coordinator. This bill intends to make sure individuals who have Alzheimer’s, and their family caregivers, have a place to turn to for help with accessing care. 

Dan Noyes, a Democrat from Wolcott, also represents Belvidere, Hyde Park and Johnson in the Vermont House of Representatives.