MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) – A new proposal would cap the salaries of the highest earners at Vermont hospitals.
Vermont’s largest nurses union and lawmakers presented a bill on Thursday that would ensure no hospital executive or clinical leader statewide is paid more than 10 times that of the hospital’s lowest-paid employee. It comes as health care providers across Vermont are struggling to make ends meet and cutting services for patients.
“For now and for these reasons I am co-sponsoring this bill as a strong step forward to bring health care dollars back to the people and to begin to stabilize Vermont’s health care crisis,” said Rep. Mari Cordes, D-Lincoln.
Vermont’s largest health care provider is the UVM Health Network. A spokesperson says salaries for senior leaders there only make up 1.08% of payroll. A spokesperson said, in part quote, “There is no question that health care is unaffordable for too many Vermonters, and UVM Health Network is committed to working together with our regulator — state and federal leaders and other partners to identify solutions that help people access and afford the care they need.”