UVM Health Network Programs Address Financial Barriers to Care
As new Vermont law takes effect, health system programs continue to make care and prescriptions more affordable for thousands of patients
With a new law in effect that helps make financial assistance policies more consistent among Vermont hospitals, University of Vermont Health Network leaders reaffirmed their commitment to working to ensure all patients have access to care regardless of their ability to pay. Assistance is available to patients in both Vermont and northern New York as part of the health system’s commitment to make care more equitable, and physically and financially accessible.
Act 119 was signed in 2022, and officially went into effect on July 1, 2024. It aims to provide a consistent approach to financial assistance policies among all hospitals in Vermont, in areas such as how income is calculated and how eligibility for assistance is determined. These efforts will further strengthen the financial assistance programs that have been in place at UVM Health Network for years, and will enhance the accessibility of the application process. Regulations similar to Act 119 will go into effect in October in New York.
At UVM Health Network, many patients are eligible for help through the health system’s Financial Assistance Program and Health Assistance Program (HAP). This includes residents of Vermont and northern New York, locally-based students, workers, undocumented immigrants and unhoused residents, as well as visitors or travelers in emergencies. Many patients can receive partial or full assistance to cover the costs of their care, and the amount depends on household size, income and other factors.
The HAP team recently heard from one patient who had reached out for help two years ago when his income dropped to include only social security and pension, and he was facing a cancer diagnosis. Through HAP, he received assistance with copays and deductibles for vital, but expensive, cancer medications. The patient called recently to express his appreciation for the support, and to share with the team that his treatment was complete.
As a rural nonprofit academic health system, we want to make sure we do everything we can to ensure that cost doesn’t prevent patients from getting the care that they need. We talk about access to care in terms of being able to get an appointment or schedule a needed surgery, but financial access is vital to deliver equitable care to our communities.
Sunny Eappen, MD, MBA, president and chief executive officer of UVM Health Network
UVM Health Network’s Financial Assistance Program provides many options, including discounted and free care, for people who do not have insurance, who are not eligible for a government program, or who are insured but need help with out-of-pocket costs.
In Fiscal Year 2023, the program helped 6,654 patients in Vermont by covering more than $22 million in costs of care on their behalf, and hundreds more who live in northern New York.
HAP, the system’s companion assistance program, which supports patients who need help affording prescriptions, navigating insurance coverage, and accessing eyeglasses and medical equipment, is helping more patients and families than ever before. In FY 2023, HAP helped 3,750 patients in Vermont obtain their medications, covering $5.8 million in costs that would have come out of low- and middle-income patients’ pockets. For patients who qualify, all co-pays and costs are waived for both brand-name and generic prescriptions – totaling 76,000 prescriptions in Vermont in 2023. The team also helped hundreds more people across the region enroll in health insurance and other state and federal programs, or access other critical health resources through advocacy and support.
HAP is made possible by the federal 340B program, which allows hospitals to buy prescription drugs at a discounted rate. UVM Health Network then invests those savings into the prescription assistance program.
Help is available for those in need
Financial Assistance Program: Our Financial Assistance Program provides free and discounted care to eligible patients to help cover the cost of that care. You may qualify for help even if you have health insurance.
- To find out more about the Financial Assistance Program, visit https://www.uvmhealth.org/health-wellness/health-assistance-program,
- email customerservice@uvmhealth.org, call 802-847-8000, or call toll-free at 800-639-2719.
Health Assistance Program:
- To learn more about HAP, including whether you are eligible for support, email HealthAssistanceProgram@UVMHealth.org, call 802-847-6984, or call toll-free at 888-739-5183.
About University of Vermont Health Network
University of Vermont Health Network is an integrated system serving the residents of Vermont and northern New York with a shared mission: working together, we improve people’s lives. The partners are:
- University of Vermont Medical Center
- University of Vermont Health Network Medical Group
- University of Vermont Health Network – Alice Hyde Medical Center
- University of Vermont Health Network – Central Vermont Medical Center
- University of Vermont Health Network – Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital
- University of Vermont Health Network – Elizabethtown Community Hospital
- University of Vermont Health Network – Porter Medical Center
- University of Vermont Health Network – Home Health & Hospice
Our 15,000 employees are driven to provide high-quality, cost-efficient care as close to home as possible. Strengthened by our academic connection to University of Vermont, each of our affiliates remains committed to its local community by providing compassionate, personal care shaped by the latest medical advances and delivered by highly skilled experts.