2018 -- H 7962

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LC005218

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2018

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J O I N T   R E S O L U T I O N

CREATING A SPECIAL JOINT COMMISSION TO STUDY THE IMPACT ON THE STATE

OF RHODE ISLAND FROM THE ACQUISITION OF HOSPITALS

     Introduced By: Representatives Marshall, Johnston, McKiernan, O'Brien, and Edwards

     Date Introduced: March 15, 2018

     Referred To: House Health, Education & Welfare

     WHEREAS, Hospitals in Rhode Island provide access to high quality, critical primary,

and specialty hospital services for all Rhode Island residents; and

     WHEREAS, Hospitals in Rhode Island are amongst the state's largest employers,

employing tens of thousands of Rhode Islanders and providing millions of dollars from the

purchasing of goods and services from Rhode Island businesses; and

     WHEREAS, Academic and scientific research programs at Rhode Island’s hospitals

contribute significantly to the State's economy, helping drive the "meds and eds" sector of the

State's economic activity; and

     WHEREAS, Hospitals serve as a key component in the continued development of

integrated healthcare organizations in the State; and

     WHEREAS, It is the policy of the state to assure that all Rhode Island residents have

access to high quality primary and specialty hospital services; and

     WHEREAS, It is the policy of the state to ensure that any proposed acquisition of a

hospital in Rhode Island undergoes significant scrutiny to protect the best interests of Rhode

Island and its residents; and

     WHEREAS, Where a proposed acquisition of a Rhode Island hospital is made by a

hospital or hospital system or an affiliate of a hospital or hospital system that is incorporated in,

operates a hospital in, or is located within a state immediately adjacent to the State, additional

scrutiny and potentially additional safeguards, are necessary to protect access to primary and

specialty hospital services and healthcare related jobs in the State; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That a special joint commission be and the same hereby is hereby created

consisting of fourteen (14) members: one of whom shall be a member of the House, to be

appointed by the Speaker of the House, and who shall serve as co-chair; one of whom shall be a

member of the Senate, to be appointed by the Senate President, and who shall serve as co-chair;

one of whom shall be the Rhode Island Office of Health Insurance Commissioner, or designee;

one of whom shall be the Secretary of the Rhode Island Executive Office of Health & Human

Services, or designee; one of whom shall be the Rhode Island Medicaid Director, or designee;

one of whom shall be the President of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO, or designee; one of whom

shall be the President of the Rhode Island Medical Society, or designee; one of whom shall be the

President of the Hospital Association of Rhode Island, or designee; one of whom shall be the

Executive Director of the Economic Progress Institute, or designee; one of whom shall be the

Executive Director of the Rhode Island Business Group On Health, or designee; two (2) of whom

shall be representatives of health insurance companies, one of whom shall be appointed by the

Speaker of the House, and one of whom shall be appointed by the President of the Senate; and

two (2) of whom shall be representatives of higher education institutions with a specialty in

public health, one of whom shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House, and one of whom

shall be appointed by the President of the Senate.

     In lieu of any appointment of a member of the legislature to a permanent advisory

commission, a legislative study commission, or any commission created by a General Assembly

resolution, the appointing authority may appoint a member of the general public to serve in lieu

of a legislator, provided that the majority leader or the minority leader of the political party which

is entitled to the appointment consent to the member of the general public.

     The purpose of said commission shall be to examine the impacts of the acquisition of a

Rhode Island hospital(s) by a hospital or hospital system or an affiliate of a hospital or hospital

system that is incorporated and/or operates a hospital in Rhode Island, or is located within a state

immediately adjacent to Rhode Island, including, but not limited to:

     1. The impact of access to primary and specialty hospital services at the hospital(s) to be

acquired;

     2. The migration of Rhode Island patients to receive hospital services outside of the State;

     3. The impact on jobs at the State's hospitals;

     4. The impact to costs and premiums on Rhode Island health insurers, including the

development of legislative and/or regulatory proposals to mitigate such costs, and including but

not limited to, the legislative/regulatory imposition of a cap on the amount of payment of hospital

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services delivered outside of the State;

     5. The impact on costs to the Rhode Island Medicaid program, and related costs to the

Rhode Island budget, including the development of legislative and/or regulatory proposals to

mitigate such costs;

     6. The impact to academic medical programs, scientific research, and related economic

activity;

     7. The impact to the State's efforts to build integrated health networks in Rhode Island;

and

     8. The impacts of other hospital mergers/acquisitions which have occurred over the last

seven (7) years, to include, but not be limited to, the impacts on adjacent state health and hospital

systems, retention of access to care, and impacts on healthcare employment levels and medical

academic affiliations; and

     Additionally, the commission shall study and make recommendations to the Executive

Office of Health and Human Services regarding the need for the development of a statewide

health plan.

     Forthwith upon passage of this resolution, the members of the commission shall meet at

the call of the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate and organize. The

commission shall have the authority to organize and form subcommittees, when deemed

appropriate by a majority of the members.

     Vacancies in said commission shall be filed in like manner as the original appointment.

     The membership of said commission shall receive no compensation for their services.

     All departments and agencies of the state, including the Executive Office of Health and

Human Services and its Departments and the Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner, shall

furnish such advice and information, documentary and otherwise, to said commission and its

agents as is deemed necessary or desirable by the commission to facilitate the purposes of this

resolution.

     The Joint Committee on Legislative Services is hereby authorized and directed to provide

suitable quarters for said commission; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the commission shall report its findings and recommendations to the

Governor and the General Assembly no later than March 31, 2019, and said commission shall

expire on June 30, 2019.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

J O I N T   R E S O L U T I O N

CREATING A SPECIAL JOINT COMMISSION TO STUDY THE IMPACT ON THE STATE

OF RHODE ISLAND FROM THE ACQUISITION OF HOSPITALS

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     This resolution would create a fourteen (14) member special Joint commission whose

purpose it would be to make a comprehensive study on the impact on the State of Rhode Island

from the acquisition of hospitals, and who would report back to the Governor and the General

Assembly no later than March 31, 2019, and whose life would expire on June 30, 2019.

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