Allows private employees at nursing homes, developmental disability and home care providers whose salaries are 90% funded with federal or state monies to be eligible to opt into the state healthcare plan.
This resolution appropriates $100,000 from state funds to the Rhode Island Office of Healthy Aging for the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, operated by the Alliance for Better Long-Term Care. It directly supports vulnerable residents in 76 nursing facilities (8,405 beds), 65 assisted living residences (5,209 units), and two specialized facilities, who file complaints about care issues, abuse, or rights violations. The funding addresses underfunding that has not kept pace with a tripling of complaints since 2023 (1,787 in 2025), ensuring the ombudsman program can continue investigating and resolving resident concerns. This is a procedural budget allocation, not a policy change, aimed at maintaining existing oversight services.
Establishes the Medicaid fee-for-service reimbursement rates set by the general assembly as the rate floor for Medicaid managed care by home care, home nursing care and hospice providers.
Authorizes the secretary of the executive office of health and human services (EOHHS) to increase resource eligibility limits for persons with long-term care needs who reside at home to $12,000 for single persons and $18,000 for couples.
SB 2388 freezes the issuance of new home care, home nursing, and hospice provider licenses until July 1, 2031, with limited exceptions for emergencies, pending applications, ownership changes, or geographic service gaps. During the moratorium, the Department of Health must conduct a statewide study to assess current service availability, underserved areas, and future needs. The maximum number of licenses for each category is capped at the 2026 count, decreasing annually if providers close. If the health department fails to complete the study by 2031, the license freeze remains in effect.
SR 2257 is a Senate Resolution requesting Rhode Island's Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) to adopt an electronic Preadmission Screening and Resident Review (PASRR) system by January 1, 2027. This system is required by federal law to screen individuals with serious mental illness or intellectual/developmental disabilities before nursing home admission, directly affecting Medicaid-certified nursing facilities and vulnerable residents. The resolution asks EOHHS to investigate cost savings, potential partnerships with neighboring states, and federal funding to implement the digital system, which aims to reduce unnecessary institutionalization and support community-based care options. (Note: As a procedural resolution, this is a request to the executive branch, not a law requiring immediate action.)
Authorizes an increase in resource eligibility limits for persons with long-term-care needs who reside at home and requires semi-annual reports from Medicaid certified assisted living facilities and adult day service providers to the EOHHS.
HR 7059 is a joint resolution appropriating $100,000 to the Rhode Island Office of Healthy Aging for the Alliance for Better Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program. This funding directly supports the state's ombudsman program, which advocates for residents in nursing homes (76 facilities, 8,405 beds), assisted living residences (65 facilities, 5,209 units), and specialized facilities like the Bristol Veterans’ Home. The program handles complaints - such as abuse, neglect, and care issues - on behalf of vulnerable older adults and individuals with disabilities receiving long-term care. The resolution addresses a funding gap, as the program’s workload has more than tripled since 2023, with complaints rising from 597 to 1,787 in 2025.
