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Consumer Resources to Help Locate
Available Health Care Providers
The Department of Financial Regulation
(DFR), Department of Vermont Health
Access, Office of the Health Care Advocate,
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont, MVP
Health Care, and Cigna together encourage
Vermonters to take advantage of consumer
resources to help find alternative care if they
encounter extended wait times for medical
appointments.
“While the State of Vermont continues to
examine reports of extended wait times for
medical appointments, we want to bring
awareness to the consumer resources currently
available to help Vermonters struggling
to secure medical appointments,” said DFR
Commissioner Michael Pieciak.
Commercial health insurers and Vermont
Medicaid have resources available to assist
consumers with finding primary and specialty
care within a reasonable time frame, including
transportation to and from appointments,
and telemedicine services. Further, consumers
with commercial insurance may be able to
see out-of-network providers at in-network
rates if no in-network provider is available
and accessible on a timely basis.
“Vermonters who need help navigating our
health care system can always reach out to the
consumer team at the Office of the Health
Care Advocate. The team can answer questions,
help point the consumer in the right
direction or possibly assist resolving the matter
altogether,” said Mike Fisher, Vermont’s
Chief Health Care Advocate.
Primary Care
• If you are having trouble securing a primary
care appointment or do not have a primary
care provider, your health insurer may be able
to facilitate finding an available appointment.
Specialty Care
• If you are having trouble securing a specialty
appointment, first contact your Primary
Care Practice, who may be able to help find
an available appointment.
• If your Primary Care Practice is unable to
assist or you do not have a primary provider,
your health insurer may also be able to facilitate
finding an available appointment.
Health insurer contact information and
online consumer tools can be found below:
Resources for Vermont Medicaid Members
If you are a Vermont Medicaid member
and experiencing any issues in accessing the
care you need, please let us know by calling
1-800-250-8427. Vermont Medicaid members
can find Medicaid-participating providers
who are accepting new patients by using
the “Provider Lookup” (http://vtmedicaid.
com/#/providerLookup) or by calling the
Customer Support Center at 1-800-250-8427
to ask for help in locating a provider.
Pfizer Booster
continued from previous page
to get your annual flu vaccine,
and that there is no
waiting period between getting
a COVID-19 booster and
getting your flu shot.
COVID-19 vaccines are
highly effective, and a booster
dose gives your body extra
protection. This is especially
important as the world continues
to face the Delta variant
of the virus that causes
COVID-19. Moderna and
Johnson and Johnson boosters
have not yet been authorized
by the CDC, and we
will keep Vermonters up to
date as we await guidance.
• • •
Gifford Medical Center
BIRTH
Vermont Medicaid members may also be
able to get transportation to and from appointments.
Information and instructions for
scheduling a trip can be found at https://vpta.
net/medicaid/ or by calling 1-802-442-0629.
Resources for Blue Cross Blue Shield of
Vermont Members
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont
offers a robust system to support their members
in finding providers for primary care or
in any specialty area. Blue Cross has “Find a
Doctor Tools” (https://www.bcbsvt.com/finda-doctor)
for in-network local and national
providers and Amwell (https://bcbsvt.amwell.
com/), which offers convenient online visits
with providers from across the care continuum.
The Vermont-based customer support team
can help members find providers in any specialty
area and is only a phone call away at
800-247-2583.
Resources for MVP Health Care Members
MVP Health Care provides several resources
to assist its members with accessing timely
care when and where they need it. MVP
offers its members a user-friendly Find a
Doctor tool that can help identify in-network
providers that are accepting new patients.
Additionally, MVP’s customer care team can
help members find provider availability and
assist with scheduling visits when a member’s
current doctor is experiencing longer
than normal wait times by calling
1-800-TALK-MVP or the number of the back
of their ID card.
Resources for Cigna Members
Cigna Customer Service Advocates are
available 24/7/365 to help customers find innetwork
providers. They can also help connect
customers to telehealth (virtual care)
services for both medical and mental health
care.
Customers should call the number on the
back of their Cigna ID card or 1-800-244-
6224.
Additional Resources
The Office of the Health Care Advocate
(HCA) is a free resource available to all
Vermonters to solve problems related to
healthcare. To get help with a health care
issue, call the HCA HelpLine at 1-800-917-
7787. You can also ask for help by filling out
our Help Request Form at https://vtlawhelp.
org/vtlegal_gethelp.
DFR also stands ready to assist Vermonters
with health insurance issues. Vermonters are
encouraged to contact the Department’s consumer
services team if they have any questions
or issues call 800-964-1784 or email dfr.
insuranceinfo@vermont.gov.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
The following birth announcements were submitted by Gifford Medical Center on
October 3, 2021. Any questions or concerns should be addressed directly to Gifford.
A boy, Sylvan Grassette Simpson was born September 6,
2021 to Hayley Chaffee and Nathan Simpson of Rutland
A baby girl, Laurel Jane Celeste Garner was born September
21, 2021 to Kelly Grant and Matthew Garner of Washington
Oct. 20 Barre Auditorium 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Oct. 20
Williamstown United
Federated Church
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Oct. 23 Barre Auditorium 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Oct. 25
Waterbury Senior Center 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Nov. 1 Montpelier Senior Center 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Nov. 2 Barre Auditorium 10:00 am - 11:30 am
Nov. 3
Waitsfield United
Church of Christ
1:30 pm - 3:00 pm
THANK YOU FOR SAYING
I SAW IT IN
Central Vermont
Fun Runs
Two Miles
Male:
Ages-60 to 69
John Martin 21:05
Ages- 80 to 89
Bob Murphy 21:07
Four Miles
Female:
Ages- 60 to 69
Donna Smyers 36:47
Dot Martin 36:47
Male:
Ages- 40 o 49
Sal Acosta 37:34
Ages-50 to 59
Peter Luyckx 34:18
Joe Merrill 37:31
Ages-60 to 69
Darell Lassell 38:58
Ages-70 to 79
John Valentine 37:34
Six Miles
Female:
Ages-40 to 49
Natalie Gentry 51:56
Fun runs of two,four and six miles
are held every Tuesday from May into
October at 5:30 p.m.The meeting place
is on the bike path just beyond the
Montpelier High School track.
Central Vermont Medical Center
BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENTS
The following birth announcements were submitted by Central Vermont Medical Center
on Oct. 1, 2021. Any questions or concerns should be addressed directly to CVMC.
A daughter, Elodie Jane Sheridan, was born on 9/24/21
to Michelle Wheeler and David Sheridan of Williamstown.
A son, Oliver Wade Shatney, was born on 9/29/21 to
Meghan Forant and William Shatney of Hardwick.
A daughter, Brynlee Reed Lyford, was born on 10/3/21
to Lauren Ashley Clark and Aidan Lyford of Williamstown.
October 13, 2021 The WORLD page 17