Title 42
State Affairs and Government

Chapter 12.4
The Rhode Island Medicaid Reform Act of 2008

R.I. Gen. Laws § 42-12.4-2

§ 42-12.4-2. Legislative intent.

(a) It is the intent of the general assembly that Medicaid shall be a sustainable, cost-effective, person-centered and opportunity-driven program utilizing competitive and value-based purchasing to maximize available service options; and

(b) It is the intent of the general assembly to fundamentally redesign the Medicaid Program in order to achieve a person-centered and opportunity-driven program; and

(c) It is the intent of the general assembly that the Medical Assistance Program be a results oriented system of coordinated care that focuses on independence and choice that maximizes the available service options, promotes accountability and transparency; encourages and rewards healthy outcomes and responsible choices; and promotes efficiencies through interdepartmental cooperation.

(d) The executive office of health and human services and the department of human services are authorized and shall apply for and obtain a global waiver and/or any necessary waivers and/or state plan amendments from the secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, including, but not limited to, a waiver of the appropriate sections of Title XIX, 42 U.S.C. § 1396 et seq. The application for and the provisions of such waiver(s) and/or state plan amendments shall be implemented as follows:

(1) The federal waiver application process shall be overseen by the respective finance committees of both chambers of the general assembly. Ten (10) days prior to submission to the federal government, the executive office of health and human services and the department of human services will provide the general assembly with the proposed submission data related to the federal global waiver application required by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services;

(2) Prior to the final acceptance of the federal global waiver by the state, the executive office of health and human services and the department of human services shall allow the respective finance committees of both chambers of the general assembly to review all materials related to the federal global waiver, including the materials submitted by the state and the tentative approval letter; moreover, the executive office of health and human services and the department of human services may accept the federal global waiver if the general assembly does not repeal the authority to pursue the global waiver within thirty (30) days of the receipt of the proposed federal waiver;

(3) Upon the enactment of legislation related to the federal waiver(s), the executive office of health and human services and the health and human services agencies, as defined in § 42-7.2-2, are authorized and directed to adopt rules and regulations in order to implement the provisions of the federal waiver(s) and/or state plan amendments.

History of Section.
P.L. 2008, ch. 100, art. 17, § 1.