Vermonters with Medicare Struggle to Afford Health Care

Older and disabled Vermonters can go from paying no monthly premium for Medicaid or a Vermont Health Connect plan to owing hundreds of dollars per month in Medicare premiums, deductibles and cost-sharing. This drop in benefits is known as the “Medicare cliff.”

Vermont has a Medicare Savings Program that covers Medicare premiums, deductibles, and cost-sharing, but the income limit is too low for most of the people who need it.

Hear from Vermonters — in their own words — about their struggle to afford health care and other necessities.

Help the Office of the Health Care Advocate fix the problem by supporting our proposal to expand Vermont’s Medicare Savings Program in Section 9 of H.721.

Press coverage on this topic

• Vermont Public