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SHARING DATA TO CUT HEALTH COSTS
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Vermont’s rural landscape and aging population are sometimes blamed for the surge in health insurance premiums across the Green Mountain State.
But grassroots organization Vermont HealthCare 911—a bipartisan coalition of leaders from business, health care, politics, civics and labor—has found that other factors are at play. VHC911 points to high hospital costs, in particular, at the University of Vermont Medical Center, the state’s biggest hospital.
“There’s been this myth that the reason that Vermont’s health care costs are so high is because we have an older population,” says Beth Stern, AARP Vermont’s volunteer state president.
When compared to Maine and New Hampshire, which have similar-age populations and rural landscapes, Vermont health care costs are an outlier.
While the average monthly cost of the cheapest commercial insurance plan in Vermont rose from $422 in 2018 to $808 in 2025, Maine and New Hampshire rates remained closer to the U.S. average ($381 per month) at $464 and $272, respectively, according to KFF, a nonprofit that focuses on health issues.
VHC911 has found that the main drivers are higher hospital costs and exorbitant executive salaries, says Stern.
In 2026, a new CEO took over University of Vermont Health, the network that UVM Medical Center falls under.
AARP Vermont State Director Greg Marchildon, who serves on VHC911’s leadership council, says communications between UVM Medical Center and consumers has improved. “There’s a long way to go here, but some things are getting
better,” he says.
Marchildon encourages Vermonters to share their health care stories by emailing vtaarp@aarp.org. Learn more at vhc911.org.
- Legislative Updates Priorities for Older Vermonters in the 2026 Session.
- Staying Safe When Disaster Strikes Join this free online event with AARP Vermont.
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