2021 -- S 0041

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LC000317

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2021

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO PUBLIC FINANCE -- MEDICAL ASSISTANCE AND PUBLIC

ASSISTANCE CASELOAD ESTIMATING CONFERENCES

     Introduced By: Senators DiPalma, Seveney, Paolino, Pearson, and Murray

     Date Introduced: January 19, 2021

     Referred To: Senate Finance

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 35-17-1 of the General Laws in Chapter 35-17 entitled "Medical

Assistance and Public Assistance Caseload Estimating Conferences" is hereby amended to read as

follows:

     35-17-1. Purpose and membership.

     (a) In order to provide for a more stable and accurate method of financial planning and

budgeting, it is hereby declared the intention of the legislature that there be a procedure for the

determination of official estimates of anticipated medical assistance expenditures and caseloads for

public assistance caseloads shall include, but not be limited to, the following agencies: the

executive office of health and human services (EOHHS), the department of human services (DHS),

the department of children, youth and families (DCYF), and the department of behavioral

healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals (BHDDH), upon which the executive budget

shall be based and for which appropriations by the general assembly shall be made.

     (b) The state budget officer, the house fiscal advisor, and the senate fiscal advisor shall

meet in regularly scheduled caseload estimating conferences (C.E.C.). These conferences shall be

open public meetings.

     (c) The chairpersonship of each regularly scheduled C.E.C. will rotate among the state

budget officer, the house fiscal advisor, and the senate fiscal advisor, hereinafter referred to as

principals. The schedule shall be arranged so that no chairperson shall preside over two (2)

successive regularly scheduled conferences on the same subject.

     (d) Representatives of all state agencies are to participate in all conferences for which their

input is germane.

     (e) The department of human services executive office of health and human services

(EOHHS), the department of human services (DHS), the department of children, youth and families

(DCYF), and the department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals

(BHDDH) shall provide monthly data to the members of the caseload estimating conference by the

fifteenth day of the following month. Monthly data shall include, but is not limited to, actual

caseloads and expenditures for the following case assistance programs:

     (1) The department of human services shall report relevant caseload information and

expenditures for the following cash assistance categories: Rhode Island Works, SSI state program,

general public assistance, and child care. For individuals eligible to receive the payment under §

40-6-27(a)(1)(vi), the report shall include the number of individuals enrolled in a managed care

plan receiving long-term care services and supports and the number receiving fee-for-service

benefits.

     (2) The executive office of health and human services shall report relevant caseload

information and expenditures for the following medical assistance categories: hospitals, long-term

care, managed care, pharmacy, and other medical services. In the category of managed care,

caseload information and expenditures shall include hospitals, long-term care, managed care,

pharmacy and other medical services and for the following populations shall be separately

identified and reported: children with disabilities, children in foster care, and children receiving

adoption assistance and RIte Share enrollees under § 40-8.4-12(j).

     (3) The department of children, youth and families shall report relevant caseload

information and expenditures for the following service categories: residential care services, foster

care services, behavioral health care services, adoption services/care, juvenile probation and parole

services/care, juvenile justice and education.

     (4) The department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals shall

report relevant caseload information and expenditures for the following service categories:

developmental disability services, mental health services, behavioral health services, substance

abuse services, and hospital services, including forensics.

     The information shall include the number of Medicaid recipients whose estate may be

subject to a recovery and the anticipated amount to be collected from those subject to recovery, the

total recoveries collected each month and number of estates attached to the collections and each

month, the number of open cases and the number of cases that have been open longer than three

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(3) months.

     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 PUBLIC FINANCE -- MEDICAL ASSISTANCE AND PUBLIC

ASSISTANCE CASELOAD ESTIMATING CONFERENCES

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     This act would require the participation and input of the EOHHS, DHS, DCYF and

BHDDH in medical assistance and public assistance caseload estimating conferences and the

generation of monthly data to the members of the case load estimating conference.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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