State Offers Affordable Health Insurance
June 17 2010, page 16.....

More than 47,000 Vermonters lack health insurance. The good news is that about half of these individuals are eligible for affordable health insurance under Green Mountain Care.
Green Mountain Care is a family of low-cost and free health coverage programs for uninsured Vermonters offered by the state of Vermont and its partners. Green Mountain Care includes plans such as Catamount Health, Vermont Health Access Plan (VHAP), Dr. Dynasaur, Medicaid and a number of pharmacy assistance and premium assistance programs. Plan eligibility and cost are based on household size and income. Typically there is a 12-month waiting period for these plans, but there are exceptions.
There is no upper-income limit for Catamount Health Plan. It is offered through BlueCross BlueShield or MVP Health Care. However, Vermonters earning roughly $20,000 to $32,000 may be eligible for premium assistance to help pay for the Catamount Health Plan through Green Mountain Care making premiums as low as $60 per month.
Premium Assistance for Employer-Sponsored Insurance is also for Vermonters earning around $20,000 to $32,000 per year. If someone has access to insurance at work, but is not yet enrolled, he or she may be eligible for assistance, making the premium as low as $60 per month.
Vermont Health Access Plan (VHAP) is for Vermonters earning around $20,000 or less per year, and the cost is $50 or less per month.
For information about these and other Vermont plans call 1-800-250-8427, or visit the website GreenMountainCare.org. The website is also a source of information about the new federal health insurance legislation, including the requirement that health insurers cover young adults up to age 26 on their parents’ plans if they so choose, starting September 23.
The information in this article was provided by Susan W. Besio, Ph.D., Director of the Office of Vermont Health Access (OVHA).