Vermont mental health services get competitive; MDs on the march

From the Vermont Press Bureau (paywall stories):

Health care providers rally to oppose "provider tax" in Shumlin budget

More than 250 doctors, nurses and volunteers visited Montpelier on Wednesday to tell legislators why they think a proposed tax increase on health care providers is a bad idea.

Among them was Kristin Baker, who takes pride that the emergency department at Fletcher Allen Health Care, where she is nurse manager, is the only one in the state to offer specialized emergency-room care. But she told lawmakers that some of those services would be eliminated if Gov. Peter Shumlin’s proposed tax increase on hospitals goes into effect.

Racine proposes free-market competition approach for mental health agencies

Already targeted by Gov. Peter Shumlin for an $11 million spending cut, Vermont’s mental health agencies are now fighting an administration proposal that seeks to open up the mental-health care system to free-market competition.