MONTPELIER – The Commission for Public School Employee Health Benefits agreed to an additional one-year extension of the current public school employees’ healthcare plan while pledging to continue working together toward systemic changes that will lower costs and make healthcare more affordable.
This extension comes in the wake of four recent events:
- Act 73 (H.454) was signed into law which may result in significant changes to the structure of public education in Vermont. Redistricting could result in changes that would impact employee benefits and contracts. The Commission provided testimony to the Commission on the Future of Public Education in Vermont explaining the impact healthcare benefits have on school budgets.
- Act 68 (S.126) is a first step to implementing reference-based pricing throughout the state and Act 55 (H.266) will cap the cost of certain prescription drugs. The Commission presented testimony during the legislative session in support of these bills.
- The Vermont Education Health Initiative (VEHI) is developing new healthcare plans which may replace current offerings. Negotiations should focus on these new plans rather than plans which may be discontinued. The Commission has been working with VEHI on this project.
- Green Mountain Care Board is requiring hospital systems across Vermont to develop leaner budgets, which In turn should lead to cost savings and lower premiums. The Commission provided testimony to GMC in support of its efforts.
All four of these events demonstrate that various groups, including the Commission, are making positive strides toward the goal of making healthcare more affordable. The Commission looks forward to further advocating for changes which will continue this work. With this extension, the next round of negotiations is scheduled to begin in April 2027 with a new agreement to go into effect January 1, 2029.
The Commission is comprised of equal numbers of educators and school board members. The current healthcare agreement covers most school employees across the state, including those belonging to Vermont-NEA and AFSCME. Prior to 2017, school employee healthcare was bargained at the local level.
