Rhode Island Health Insurance

Rhode Island law expands COBRA health insurance coverage to former employees of small businesses.

Today, the Rhode Island Department of Health (HEALTH) and the Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner released the tenth annual RI Health Plans’ Performance Report (2007). This report analyzes the two largest commercial health plans in the state, Blue Cross and United, on 38 separate quality measures which they submit annually to the Department of Health. The two plans are also compared to all commercial health insurers in New England and to the best 10% of health plans in the country.

Rhode Island state legislators will not vote to block Gov. Donald Carcieri's (R) "unprecedented" plan to overhaul the state Medicaid program, which will subsequently take effect Monday, state House Speaker William Murphy (D) said Wednesday, the Providence Journal reports (Peoples/Needham, Providence Journal, 1/15).

Rhode Island Gov. Don Carcieri (R) and acting CMS Administrator Kerry Weems on Monday announced that they are close to a deal on a "global Medicaid waiver," which would provide all of the state's federal dollars for its Medicaid program in one lump sum, the Providence Journal reports (Peoples, Providence Journal, 12/9).

The AP/Washington Times on Sunday examined a proposal by Rhode Island Gov. Donald Carcieri (R) to cap Medicaid spending in exchange for broader authority in deciding how Medicaid funds can be used. Carcieri has said the state needs approval of a federal waiver because Medicaid will consume about 30% of the state's budget by 2011, leaving less money for other priorities, but some federal lawmakers have criticized the plan (AP/Washington Times, 10/19).

Rhode Island Gov. Donald Carcieri (R) last month asked CMS to approve a waiver that would allow the state "to change much of its Medicaid program from an open-ended entitlement with no limit on spending to a capped budget with fixed expenditure limits" as part of a plan to address "looming budget deficits and curb rising Medicaid costs, two problems that are bedeviling many states," a New York Times editorial states.

Rhode Island Gov. Donald Carcieri's request to CMS last month for a waiver to set limits on state Medicaid spending has "alarmed" congressional Democrats and low-income advocacy groups who said the proposal would reduce access to nursing homes, raise out-of-pocket expenses for low-income families and limit eligibility and enrollment of residents in the program, the Washington Post reports.

A new Rhode Island law may give the state's legislators a real advantage over their constituents when it comes to health insurance.

The measure, sponsored by state Rep. Lisa Baldelli-Hunt (D-Woonsocket), took effect July 1. It gives legislators $7,000 per year for the purchase of health insurance--and they get to keep whatever part of the stipend they don't spend on health insurance.

Rhode Island Gov. Don Carcieri (R) has offered a proposal to save taxpayers $67 million by overhauling Rite Care, the state's Medicaid program.

Under the proposal, details of which are still being worked out between the state legislature and the Department of Human Services, Rhode Island would agree to a five-year federal spending cap on Medicaid in exchange for more autonomy over its Medicaid programs.