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Read. Follow. Verify.Vermont Bill S.162 modifies Medicaid rules, burial fund exclusions, and health advisory committees
Last action · January 6, 2026: Read 1st time & referred to Committee on Health and WelfareSponsor: Virginia Lyons
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What This Bill Would Do
Vermont S.162 modifies several provisions governing the Department of Vermont Health Access, including raising the Medicaid burial fund asset exclusion from $10,000 to $15,000, extending the deadline to seek federal approval for Medicaid doula coverage to July 1, 2028, and altering advisory committee structures.
Medicaid applicants can preserve up to $15,000 in prepaid funeral arrangements instead of $10,000, and the timeline for Medicaid coverage of doula services is extended to 2028.
- The Department of Vermont Health Access is the state office responsible for managing Vermont's Medicaid program and health benefit exchange. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Medicaid applicants and recipients
Individuals can preserve up to $15,000.00 in irrevocable prepaid funeral arrangements without losing Medicaid eligibility, provided federal approval is granted.
Department of Vermont Health Access
The department's reporting requirements, advisory board management duties, and timelines for seeking federal doula service approval are modified.
Key Facts
- Raises the limit on irrevocable prepaid funeral arrangements for Medicaid eligibility purposes from $10,000.00 to $15,000.00, subject to federal approval.
- Extends the deadline for the Department of Vermont Health Access to seek a state plan amendment for Medicaid coverage of doula services from July 1, 2026 to July 1, 2028.
- Eliminates the Department of Vermont Health Access's duty to create annual lists of prescription drugs experiencing significant price increases for the Green Mountain Care Board and Office of the Attorney General.
- Modifies the membership and appointment terms of the Medicaid and Exchange Advisory Committee and the Clinical Utilization Review Board.
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- Updates statutory language regarding reflective health benefit plans to reflect the unmerging of individual and small group health insurance markets.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does this bill change Medicaid eligibility regarding burial funds?
When must the Department of Vermont Health Access seek federal approval for Medicaid coverage of doula services under this bill?
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
1 action- Jan 6, 2026SenateIntroducedRead 1st time & referred to Committee on Health and Welfare
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Connected Entities
Sources
legislature.vermont.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance50How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy15Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz10Current news / social attention level
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