The Governor’s Health Care Executive Order

The Governor's Executive Order is not the relief we needed. After vetoing S.190 — the bill that would have lowered health insurance premiums and eased property taxes starting next year — Gov. Scott issued an Executive Order he's calling his alternative.

Here's the problem: much of the order either tells agencies to do things they're already doing or proposes changes that can't happen without the Legislature passing a law. The Administration has acknowledged it hasn't analyzed whether these ideas would actually lower costs. Some could actually raise them, such as allowing insurers to charge more based on age, which would hit older Vermonters on fixed incomes in one of the oldest states in the country.

An Executive Order can't rewrite tax or insurance law on its own. S.190 would have delivered real relief now. This order is a roadmap at best and a distraction from a veto at worst.

From House Speaker Krowinski:

 July 10, 2026

SPEAKER KROWINSKI STATEMENT ON GOVERNOR’S HEALTH CARE EXECUTIVE ORDER

MONTPELIER, VT - Today, Speaker Jill Krowinski made the following statement on the Governor’s Health Care Executive Order:

“While Vermonters agree that healthcare affordability is a crisis requiring urgent action, Governor Scott's Executive Order (E.O.) raises significant questions about whether the proposed approach will lower costs for working families and businesses or have the opposite effect - further raising the cost of health care. Vermonters are looking for relief now and this E.O. raises more questions than answers. 

“The Administration characterizes Vermont's healthcare framework as outdated and blames existing regulations for high insurance costs. However, they offer little evidence that rolling back regulatory protections or restructuring insurance markets will address the underlying cost drivers of healthcare spending. It should give all Vermonters pause that statements from the Administration admit that analysis on these proposals has not been done, and they can’t say if Vermonters will actually see a reduction in the cost of health care. 

"The Governor presents this as a black and white choice between maintaining the status quo or deregulation. That is simply a false choice. Vermonters deserve reforms that reduce healthcare costs without shifting more financial risk onto patients and working families.

“It’s clear that Vermonters need more information on exactly how this E.O. would save money and increase access to care, but at first glance several things stand out:

• Whether changes to the age rating rules could result in higher premiums for older Vermonters or those with greater healthcare needs. As one of the oldest states in the country, the last thing we need to do is raise costs on Vermonters with fixed incomes.  

• Whether expanding the health insurance market with Association Health Plans or other plans offering less coverage would further fragment the insurance market, creating health care options that are more expensive for individuals and small businesses.

• Whether the proposed reforms prioritize insurance market changes while failing to directly address the root causes of increasing health care costs throughout the healthcare system.

“This past session, we passed a bipartisan bill, S.190, that would have brought immediate relief to rising health care and property tax costs. The Governor vetoed the bill and this E.O. is a poor attempt to make up for that mistake. S.190 was a thoughtful approach that would have kept money in Vermonters pockets and helped stabilize our health care system.

"I share the Governor's goal of making healthcare more affordable, but Vermonters deserve transparent analysis, public engagement, and evidence-based policymaking before fundamental changes are made to our healthcare system. For this reason, I will be asking our committees of jurisdiction to hold hearings this summer and fall to really dig into what is being proposed and get the answers to the questions Vermonters deserve to know.

###