[GypsySoul22]

What do you do in Vermont if you get sick? Do you go to your local doctor via your insurance, a health center, a hospital?
Here (NY) it depends on your insurance or if you have insurance, I guess. We'd be moving without insurance unfortunately and I have 9 year old.

I am more concerned what to do with him should he get ill than myself or my husband.

I don't want to spark a welfare debate here (I've never been on welfare ever in my 41 years) but if the state has reduced health for kids, I need to know about it, at least till we get insurance.

We have Child Health Plus in NY and it was excellent the limited time he was on it as baby. Other than that, we've always had private insurance.

Thanks for your help on this forum!!

[Julie*]

You might find this useful:
DCF Economic Services Dr Dynasaur Program (http://www.path.state.vt.us/Programs_Pages/Healthcare/drdynasaur.htm - broken link)

My sister used this program with her son while she was in nursing school and it worked very well for them.

Her regular pediatrician took Dr. Dynasaur and now takes her private BC/BS.

Julie

[68vette]

There is the Dr Dynasaur program that was posted above. As far as to where to go for your health care. This is a little complicated here in Vermont, depending on how sick you are. For regular check ups most communities have clinics that are associated with hospitals as well as private practice physicians. It's when you go to the hospital that can be more complicated. The only large hospital in the state that is capable of handling any type of illness or injury is Fletcher Allen in Burlington. Outside of that Hospital there is Dartmouth Hitchcock in NH and from there it's Boston. For a typical illness that is easily treated the community hospitals are fantastic. If you have a severe illness or injury or any illness or injury outside of the capabilities of any of the other hospitals in the state, the patient is transported to Burlington, Dartmouth or Boston. Sometimes you have a choice, other times you don't. It depends on bed availability and a physicians approval for transport. As far as insurance is concerned, you shouldn't have an issue with coverage. Look into Dr Dynasaur for your child and decide if you can afford a COBRA plan from you present employer(it can be very expensive). Not all but many workplaces have grace period before they will give insurance(usually 30 days).

[GypsySoul22]

Fortunately we'd be near Dartmouth (about 15/20 minutes)
So if I got sick I call the local hospital and they have a clinic? I am a little confused since I come from the land of a doctor every 2 feet!

I appreciate the advise. I'm a little disheartened by the runaround I am getting today calling various places trying to hook up a jobs/find out about electricity/phone and so on.

Thanks everyone for the links and help. This is a rough decision.

[68vette]

It sounds like you are in the South Royalton area or possibly the Windsor area. Let us know what town you are looking at. South Royalton has a clinic that is associated with Gifford Medical Center in Randolph. If it's the Windsor area that would be Mount Ascutney Hospital or If it's Springfield that would be Springfield Hospital. Most of the hospitals have outside clinics. Just Google any of the hospitals listed above to get contact information. If it's a different town let us know and we will get the info for you.

[68vette]

Sorry left this out. Just go to the clinic or doctors office that's closest to your home. If you are sick enough to go to the hospital, go to the closest one. Hospitals prefer patients go to the outside clinics for basic things like when you are feeling sick or have a nagging sore throat. Insurance companies also prefer you go to a clinic or doctors office. If you go to the ER you will pay more money. My insurance for example: if I go to the doctors office my co-pay is $10. If I go to the ER my co-pay is $50. some insurance companies charge more.

Once you move you will also need to call a doctors office to have a physician accept you as a patient. This is so that in the long run you get good continuity of care. If you don't like the physician you can change. Don't worry about the hospital, all you need is to have a doctors office to go to if you are sick and know which hospital is closest if you need to go. If you are too sick for the local hospital to take care of you they will arrange transport to another facility.

[arel]

How good are Brattleboro Memorial Hospital and Grace Cottage Hospital?

[68vette]

Grace Cottage is a very small hospital. It's fine for a small rural community hospital, but they don't offer very much as far as advanced procedures or care. Coming from New York GCH would seem like a small clinic. I belive they are a 25 bed hospital(the smallest hospital in the state). Brattleboro Memorial is a bigger hospital at 61 beds. They offer more options in the types of care, but for anything major or more advanced it's going to be DHMC, FAHC, Boston or Springfield, Mass. They both provide good pt care and are good at what they do, but due to their size they are limited.