Protestors put Vermont health care system 'on trial
NBC5
A group of protestors set up outside of Vermont's Supreme Court building in Montpelier on Monday, as they said they are putting the healthcare system "on trial".
The activist group, known as the Nonviolent Medicaid Army, is demanding an end to Medicaid cutoffs across 10 states.
Monday's protest comes after a recent consultant's report from the Green Mountain Care Board recommended restructuring or even closing multiple hospitals due to financial issues.
According to that report, four hospitals in Vermont are considered to be at-risk, including Grace Cottage, Gifford Medical Center, North Country Hospital and Springfield Hospital.
"They're saying we need to keep patients out of the hospital. Well, to do that, we need primary care that functions. We need people who have transportation so they can get to their appointments," said Springfield Hospital Nurse Practitioner Jenn Chamberlin. "We need resources to be built up in our communities and this is going to take years. It's going to take so much money in years to get our communities to the point where we can support not having local hospitals."
The report pointed to several flaws in Vermont's health care system, including rising costs, declining patient outcomes and at least 9 hospitals reporting revenue loss.