ALERT: Contact legislators and ask them to oppose new tax on independent physicians

In his Fiscal Year 2017 Budget Address, Governor Peter Shumlin announced that he will be asking the Vermont General Assembly to enact a new 2.35 percent tax on the net patient revenues of independent physicians and dentists.  

The tax would be applied retroactively to January 1, 2016 and it would raise $17 million in new state revenue.  In order to determine the tax amount, independent physicians would be required to file a net patient revenue form with DVHA by April 15, 2016. 
 
The Governor justified the new tax on independent physicians and dentists based on the current 6 percent tax on net patient revenues paid by hospitals that was first enacted in 1991 includes physician revenue. Currently, only Minnesota taxes independent physicians and their tax expires in 2019.  If enacted, Vermont would be a significant outlier and the only state in the country to tax independent physicians.

 

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Update on VMS Opioid Prescribing Task Force

VMS has established a multi-specialty opioid prescribing task force that met for the first time by conference call on Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2016.  The task force includes physicians representing family medicine, internal medicine, emergency medicine, pain medicine, palliative medicine, addiction psychiatry, general surgery, and orthopedic surgery.  VMS will also include nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and pharmacists.  

On the task force call, Commissioner Harry Chen outlined the likely components of the administration’s bill on opioid prescribing which will be released in the next few weeks.  The bill is likely to include the 10-pill limit on opioid prescriptions for minor procedures and will also prescribing criteria for other types of acute pain, but will not include palliative, hospice or cancer-related pain.  The Commissioner said it would be helpful if VMS and UVM Medical Center were involved in developing these criteria.  The bill will also increase CME requirements and will revisit the requirements for querying the VPMS.
 

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Acupuncture Licensing Exemption for Physicians who Practice Acupuncture

VMS has requested introduction of a bill that will create an exemption in the acupuncture law that would permit physicians who have acupuncture training to practice acupuncture consistent with their training and the scope of their medical practice.  

There are a handful of physicians in Vermont who are trained to perform acupuncture and use it for their patients.  Traditionally the Vermont Board of Medical Practice (VBMP) has taken the position that acupuncture is within a physician’s scope of practice and Vermont physicians with appropriate training have practiced acupuncture under their medical licenses.  Like any other treatment, a physician may only practice procedures that they have the training and experience to perform.    


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Senate Judiciary Poised to Vote on Legalized Marijuana

Senate Judiciary will meet this week to form a committee bill addressing the legalization of marijuana/cannabis.

Both Senate Health & Welfare and Senate Finance committees took testimony last week on the health and financial issues surrounding legalization.  Senate Health & Welfare will make recommendations to the Senate Judiciary committee based on their health related concerns.

Senate Judiciary plans to vote on their bill on Friday, January 29th.

It remains to be seen if other Senate committees will take the bill in to their committee if it passes judiciary.