Section 32 - Loan repayment for health care providers and Health Care Educational Loan Repayment Fund(a) The Department of Health shall make funds available to the University of Vermont College of Medicine area health education centers (AHEC) program for loan repayment awards. The Commissioner may require certification of compliance with this section prior to the making of an award.
(b) AHEC shall administer awards in such a way as to comply with the requirements of Section 108(f) of the Internal Revenue Code.(c) AHEC shall make loan repayment awards in exchange for service commitment by health care professionals and health care educators and shall define the service obligation in a contract with the health care professional or health care educator. Payment awards shall be made directly to the educational loan creditor or lender of the health care professional or health care educator.(d) Loan repayment awards shall only be available for a health care professional or health care educator who: (1) is a Vermont resident;(3) accepts patients with coverage under Medicaid, Medicare, or other State-funded health care benefit programs, if applicable; and(4) has outstanding educational debt acquired in the pursuit of an undergraduate or graduate degree from an accredited college or university that exceeds the amount of the loan repayment award.(e) Additional eligibility and selection criteria will be developed annually by the Commissioner in consultation with AHEC and may include local goals for improved service, community needs, or other awarding parameters.(f) The Commissioner may adopt rules in order to implement the program established in this section.(g) As used in this section: (1) "Health care educator" shall mean an individual employed by or contracted by an accredited postsecondary institution in Vermont to teach in a health care profession educational program.(2) "Health care professional" means an individual licensed, certified, or otherwise authorized by law to provide professional health care services in this State to an individual during that individual's medical, mental health, or dental care; treatment or confinement; or in a public health role.(h) Loan repayment shall be awarded on a rolling basis, provided funds are available, and any funds remaining at the end of a fiscal year shall carry forward and shall be available to the Department of Health and AHEC in the following fiscal year to award additional loan repayment as set forth in this section. Amended by 2024, No. 113,§ E.311, eff. 7/1/2024.Amended by 2024 , No. 85, § 38, eff. 7/1/2024.Amended by 2023 , No. 6, § 89, eff. 7/1/2023.Added 2005, No. 215 (Adj. Sess.), § 331; amended 2019, No. 155 (Adj. Sess.) , § 7(b), eff. 11/1/2020.