BERLIN, Vt. (WCAX) – Friday marked the last day of some mental health beds at the Central Vermont Medical Center. It comes as the state is already working with limited mental health care resources.
Health care regulators ordered the University of Vermont Health Network to scale back what they can offer patients. CVMC says they were forced to make these cuts.
The decisions are once again raising the question of how Vermont can manage the high price of health care.
“I think my gut reaction is one of sadness for our community,” said Karen Kurrle of Washington County Mental Health.
In an effort to save money in the health care system, the UVM Health Network closed down several services, including a dozen inpatient mental health beds at CVMC.
Mental health experts worry a vacuum of services may leave people in crisis without a place to go.
“People will have to wait longer for care who need hospital-level care. They will have to go farther away geographically from their homes, their families, their treatment teams,” Kurrle said.
The closures sparked by rising health care costs are a large driver of school budgets and property taxes this year. Costs also driven by an aging demographic using more frequent and more expensive health care in a hospital setting which costs more than in the communities.
“We have an insurer that is close to insolvency. We have federally qualified health centers potentially closing,” said Rep. Lori Houghton, D-Essex Junction.
Lawmakers say they plan on making sure dollars are going where they’re intended, and that legislation is paying off.
“The fragility of our health care system is top of mind for many people, especially us at the agency,” said Brendan Krause, Vermont’s director of Health Care Reform.
Krause says they are working with hospitals to cut costs and find efficiencies in administrative costs.
“It’s important to have a statewide lens and move strategically, but we need to move now,” Krause said.
But lawmakers say Gov. Phil Scott needs to lead the charge to come up with an action plan to help bring down the cost for Vermonters and help rural hospitals in danger of financial collapse.
“We also have an immediate crisis and we need leadership,” Houghton said.
Scott tells us he and his team have to choose their priorities and are focusing on education property taxes and housing, which are also a driver of health care costs.
Back in Washington County, experts say CVMC’s mental health closure leaves a big gap in the community.
They say they are beginning talks with the Department of Mental Health to stand up a smaller mental health urgent care, similar to one that opened recently in Burlington.
Other service cuts are on the way, like inpatient beds in Burlington and primary care in Waitsfield.
UVM tells me they won’t fully close until this summer so they can work with patients and providers to find alternative care.
