Rhode Island 2009 Health Policy Priorities

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• FY 2010 Budget
• RIte Care Coverage Expansion
• RIte Care Premium Relief
• Medicaid Global Waiver Oversight Legislation
• GlobalWaiver Implementation Task Force

The Rhode Island General Assembly enacted a FY 2010 budget in the amount of $7.8 billion. The General Assembly had to close an estimated budget deficit of $553 million for FY 2010.

The FY 2010 budget includes the following provisions:

• Lawfully residing non-citizen children will again be eligible for RIte Care coverage.  This restores RIte Care eligibility for the lawfully residing immigrant children who lost coverage in June 2008.  The Department of Human Services (DHS) need to promulgate rules to put the coverage into effect. 
• Adult RIte Care Dental Benefits was preserved for parents over age 21. 
• The RIte Care buy-in program for pregnant women with incomes between 250% - 350% FPL was preserved. 
• RIte Care premiums that were increased in Fall 2008 were rolled back to July 1, 2008 levels. The $45 monthly premium charged to families with incomes between 133% - 150% FPL was eliminated and premium amounts for families between 150% - 250% FPL were reduced.
• All children and adults enrolled in Medicaid (including RIte Care members) are limited to 12 visits to the Emergency Department per year.

More Information: RI KIDS COUNT

• The All Kids Health Insurance Program Act (H 5519, S 735) would have expanded RIte Care eligibility to children in families with incomes between 250% and 300% FPL, implemented a buy-in program for children living in families with incomes over 300% FPL, and restored RIte Care coverage for lawfully residing immigrant children.
• This bill was not passed this session.  Eligibility for RIte Care was maintained at 250% of the federal poverty level (FPL) for children and at 175% FPL for parents.

More Information: Providence Business News

• These bills (H 5841, S 673) would restore premiums for families to July 2008 levels, eliminating the $45 premium increase for families with incomes between 133% and 150% FPL and reducing the premiums for families with incomes between 150% and 250% FPL, which had been previously been increased from 3% to 5% of their total income.
• RIte Care premium increases were rescinded in the FY 2010 budget.  These premium changes went into effect May 31, 2009.

• These bills (H-5112 Sub B, S-53 Sub A) subject the Rhode Island Global Medicaid waiver to various restrictions requiring General Assembly approval.  Both bills call for a Global Waiver Implementation Taskforce to oversee the implementation of the waiver. 
• The language of both bills is nearly the same with the exception that the Senate version contains language requiring coverage to be maintained for all RIte Care eligibility groups as of November 1, 2008. 
• The House voted on June 17th to include the Medicaid Global Waiver Oversight legislation in the state budget.

• DHS has appointed 63 members to the Global Waiver Implementation Task Force, which held its first meeting May 12, 2009.

More Information: RI Executive Office of Health & Human Services

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