Free Help with Medicaid & 3SquaresVT: Dial 211
Did you get a letter about your Medicaid or 3SquaresVT benefits? Not sure if the new rules apply to you? Call or text Vermont 211 and we'll connect you with a trained benefit assister. The help is free and confidential, and it's available in many languages.
What's changing
Federal changes from H.R. 1, which became law in July 2025, are affecting how Vermonters get health coverage and food assistance. According to the Public Assets Institute, nearly 10,000 Vermonters have lost Medicaid coverage since then. More than 5,000 have lost 3SquaresVT food assistance, including almost 2,000 children.
- October 1, 2026: Some new rules for immigrants in Vermont took effect.
- January 1, 2027: New Medicaid rules begin for new applicants, including work requirements and eligibility reviews twice a year.
- As people renew: These rules will gradually reach an estimated 49,000 low-income adult Vermonters.
How a benefit assister can help
- Understand what has changed and what your notice means
- Find out whether you qualify for an exemption
- Take the next step to keep your benefits or apply for them
What you can do now
- If you got a notice: Don't ignore it. Keep it handy and call 211.
- If you have questions about your eligibility: Call 211 before your renewal date.
- If you need to apply for benefits: Call 211 and we'll connect you with someone who can help you apply.
- Not sure where to start? Call 211 or text your ZIP code to 898211.
Help in your community
Grant funding from the Vermont Agency of Human Services supports a statewide coalition that provides benefit assistance. Vermont 211 is the front door: we connect you with the partner best suited to your needs, in community settings you may already know and trust. Coalition partners include:
- Vermont Care Partners
- Vermont Community Action agencies
- Vermont Parent Child Centers
- Vermont Aging Network Consortium
- Vermont Network
- Connecting Cultures
- SASH (Support and Services at Home)
- Hunger Free Vermont
- Planned Parenthood of Northern New England
- Working Bridges
- United Ways of Vermont / Vermont 211
Help at work: Working Bridges Resource Coordinators support more than 30 workplaces across northern Vermont. They meet one-on-one with employees about Medicaid and 3SquaresVT changes, and they help employers communicate clearly with staff.
Get connected
Dial 211 (or 866-652-4636), text your ZIP code to 898211, or search our online directory at vermont211.org.
Read more in the Times Argus commentary by Alison Lamagna (United Ways of Vermont / Vermont 211), Connie Beal and Tawnya Kristen: Help is available for Medicaid and 3SquaresVT.