2014 -- S 2533

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LC004733

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2014

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY - THE RHODE ISLAND HEALTHCARE

AUTHORITY

     

     Introduced By: Senators Goldin, Nesselbush, Cool Rumsey, Conley, and Miller

     Date Introduced: February 27, 2014

     Referred To: Senate Health & Human Services

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Title 23 of the General Laws entitled "HEALTH AND SAFETY" is hereby

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amended by adding thereto the following chapter:

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CHAPTER 93

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THE RHODE ISLAND HEALTH CARE AUTHORITY

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     23-93-1. Declaration of state policy. -- It is hereby declared to be the official state

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policy to adopt an active purchaser health insurance and health services model which aggregates

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all funding of such insurance and services, including, but not limited to, private insurance,

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Medicaid, and Medicare, through HealthSource RI or its successor agency.

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     23-93-2. Rhode Island health care authority established. -- (a) There is hereby

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established an independent authority to be known as the Rhode Island healthcare authority,

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sometimes referred to herein this chapter as “the authority.” The authority shall be operated under

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the leadership of an appointed health care commissioner.

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     (b) The governor shall appoint the health care commissioner with the advise and consent

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of the senate. The health care commissioner shall chair the Rhode Island health care authority.

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The governor shall make the appointment on an interim basis if necessary until the senate is in

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session. The executive department shall provide any staff, space, and funding necessary for the

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authority to accomplish its mandate.

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     (c) The Rhode Island health care authority shall consist of:

 

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     (1) The speaker of the house or designee;

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     (2) The senate president or designee;

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     (3) Two (2) health care consumers;

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     (4) One chief executive officer of a hospital, nominated from among the hospitals in

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Rhode Island;

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     (5) One physician nominated from among the primary care specialty societies in Rhode

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Island;

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     (6) One nurse or allied professional nominated from among nursing organizations in

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Rhode Island;

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     (7) One chief executive officer of a health insurance company nominated from among the

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Rhode Island companies;

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     (8) One representative of a labor union;

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     (9) One Representative of small business nominated from among Rhode Island small

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businesses;

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     (10) One representative of large business nominated from among Rhode Island large

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businesses;

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     (11) One representative of behavioral health provider nominated from the community

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mental health providers;

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     (12) Two (2) health policy experts; and

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     (13) The secretary of the executive office of health and human services.

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     23-93-3. Report from authority. -- (a) On or before January 2, 2016, and annually

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thereafter, the health care authority shall provide to the general assembly and the governor of the

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state of Rhode Island a report of all recommended legislative and/or regulatory actions that would

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be required to:

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     (1) Present a state innovation waiver (SIW) to the federal government on behalf of the

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state;

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     (2) Make HealthSourceRI the sole hub for securing insurance or health services coverage

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for all Rhode Island residents;

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     (3) Aggregate all state, federal, and private medical funding for health insurance and/or

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health care services including, but not limited to, Medicaid, Medicare, and self-insured plans

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through HealthSourceRI or its successor entity;

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     (4) Provide alternatives to employer-based funding of private insurance that explicitly

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dissociates private insurance funding from employment status and provides possible alternative to

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funding of health insurance, one of which shall be funding through the payroll tax, inter alia;

 

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     (5) Promote the merger of all state agency functions which currently regulate insurance

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or fund or provide health services into one health care authority, including, but not limited to, all

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or part of the executive office of health and human services (EOHHS), the office of the health

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insurance commissioner (OHIC), HealthSourceRI, the department of human services (DHS), the

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department of health (DOH), the department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities

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and hospitals (BHDDH), and the department of administration (DOA), inter alia;

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     (6) Establish an annual global spending target for all health care expenditures in the state

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based on CMS market basket or comparable benchmark, with explicit enforcement of compliance

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by health care providers;

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     (7) Incrementally shift one hundred percent (100%) of all hospital revenue received from

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a fee-for-service model to a global payment model over five (5) years;

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     (8) Establish a standard set of benefits to meet the health care needs of Rhode Island

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residents; and

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     (9) Fund and staff the coordinated health planning and affordability council and charge it

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to develop a comprehensive five (5) year state population health improvement plan. The goal of

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the plan shall be to drive excellence in population health management and serve as the foundation

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for a health care system that is affordable, accessible, and delivers high quality outcomes and

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health promotion services in order to pursue the complete physical, mental and social well-being

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of Rhode Islanders. The state population health improvement plan shall provide direction to the

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health care authority and shall be developed every five (5) years.

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     (b) Annual reports submitted by the authority subsequent to the initial report shall

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provide an update as to the above points, and with particular emphasis on the progress the state is

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making in regard to adopting and implementing an active purchaser health insurance and health

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services model which aggregates all funding of such insurance and services, including, but not

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limited to, private insurance, Medicaid, and Medicare, through HealthSourceRI or its successor

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agency.

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     23-93-4. Plans not to be limited. -- Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to limit the

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choice and number of plans provided for the consumers.

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     23-93-5. Severability. -- If any provision of this chapter or the application of this chapter

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to any person or circumstances is held invalid, the invalidity shall not affect other provisions or

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applications of the chapter which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application,

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and to this end the provisions of this chapter are declared to be severable.  

 

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY - THE RHODE ISLAND HEALTHCARE

AUTHORITY

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     This act would establish the Rhode Island healthcare authority. The authority would be

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charged with overseeing that the state adopt and implement an active purchaser health insurance

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and health services model which aggregates all funding of such insurance and services, including,

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but not limited to, private insurance, Medicaid, and Medicare, through HealthSource RI or its

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successor agency.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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