2014 -- S 2877

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2014

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S E N A T E   R E S O L U T I O N

RESPECTFULLY REQUESTING THAT THE RHODE ISLAND DEPARTMENT OF

HEALTH PRESENT A PLAN FOR AN INTEGRATED PRIMARY CARE AND

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND HEALTH PROMOTION PILOT PROGRAM

     

     Introduced By: Senators Miller, Sosnowski, Nesselbush, Ottiano, and Cool Rumsey

     Date Introduced: April 09, 2014

     Referred To: Senate Health & Human Services

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     WHEREAS, Over the past two decades, Rhode Island has made strides in increasing

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access to healthcare for medical conditions. The Ocean State is recognized nationwide as a leader

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for its medical healthcare system, especially for children; and

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     WHEREAS, Like many other states, Rhode Island confronts challenges when it comes to

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ensuring that everyone who needs help for mental health and substance use disorders has access

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to behavioral health services. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI),

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behavioral health services fail to reach as many as 60 percent of those individuals in need. The

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costs associated with this gap are substantial and affect the public at large, as well; and

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     WHEREAS, Rhode Island, with no local health departments and limited community

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advocacy for behavioral and environmental programs, and with a population of which 20 to 25

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percent have no regular source of health care, is confronted by additional challenges in providing

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integrated and comprehensive primary care so as to best improve population health outcomes for

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all; and

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     WHEREAS, Recognizing the need to strengthen the state’s healthcare system to assure

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that all Rhode Islanders lead healthy, fulfilling lives, the General Assembly in 2013 passed

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S834A and H6288, legislation that established the Special Joint Commission to Study the

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Integration of Primary Care and Behavioral Health in Rhode Island. The commission's purpose

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was to "make a comprehensive study of the current status of primary care and behavioral health

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in Rhode Island; of the available research, data and analyses of the impact of primary care and

 

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behavioral health service availability and delivery system architecture on population outcomes;

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and of the advisability of creating a Primary Care Trust or other mechanism to fund and otherwise

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support a comprehensive integrated primary care and behavioral health system for all Rhode

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Islanders"; and

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     WHEREAS, The legislators, medical and behavioral healthcare providers and

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practitioners, and insurers who served on the Joint Commission heard expert testimony and

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reviewed best practices nationally that pointed to the benefits associated with an integrated

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approach to primary care and behavioral health, and with a primary care delivery system

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configured to care for the whole population in its service area. The commission members agreed

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that there is untapped potential in Rhode Island to explore how integrating behavioral health and

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primary care might improve population-based health outcomes, and recommended that a robust

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legislative pilot for an integrated, multi-disciplinary primary care, behavioral care and

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neighborhood-based health promotion and delivery model be created; and

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     WHEREAS, It is critical that a plan for a successful approach to integrated care include

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the contributions of the key stakeholders that would be involved in implementing and supporting

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a changed system of healthcare delivery and payment in the state; now, therefore be it

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     RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations

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hereby respectfully requests that the Department of Health work with key stakeholders in the state

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to develop a plan for an integrated primary care, behavioral care, and health promotion pilot

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program at one or more geographic locations; and be it further

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     RESOLVED, That this Senate hereby respectfully requests that the proposed plan reflect

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data produced by and for the Health Care Planning and Accountability Advisory Council, to

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identify the state’s existing primary and behavioral health care capacities and to target unmet

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needs regarding all forms of primary and behavioral health care population outcomes. The plan

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should be consistent with the Joint Commission’s recommendation that it take place in a specific

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geographic location, feature a payment approach that emphasizes value as opposed to volume to

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assess the impact of interventions aimed at population-based health outcomes, and be of a scale to

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generate sufficient data and other information regarding population outcomes and other impacts

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that can support policy decisions; and be it further

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     RESOLVED, That this Senate hereby respectfully requests that the Department of Health

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present a written plan for a pilot program to the General Assembly on or before November 1,

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2014; and be it further

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     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

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transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the Director of the Department of Health and

 

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the Secretary of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services.

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