2026 -- S 3020 | |
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LC005203 | |
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND | |
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY | |
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026 | |
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A N A C T | |
RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES -- MEDICAL ASSISTANCE -- LONG-TERM CARE | |
SERVICE AND FINANCE REFORM -- ASSISTED LIVING COMMUNITY MEDICAID | |
RATES | |
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Introduced By: Senators Dimitri, Thompson, and Famiglietti | |
Date Introduced: March 05, 2026 | |
Referred To: Senate Finance | |
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: | |
1 | SECTION 1. Chapter 40-8.9 of the General Laws entitled "Medical Assistance — Long- |
2 | Term Care Service and Finance Reform" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following |
3 | section: |
4 | 40-8.9-10. Assisted living community Medicaid rates -- Annual cost-of-living |
5 | adjustment. |
6 | (a) Beginning July 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, the executive office of health and |
7 | human services (EOHHS) shall apply an automatic cost-of-living adjustment (“COLA”) to the |
8 | Medicaid reimbursement rates paid for assisted living services provided pursuant to this chapter. |
9 | (b) The annual COLA shall be equal to the percentage increase, if any, in the Consumer |
10 | Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), Northeast Region for the most recently completed |
11 | calendar year, as published by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. |
12 | (c) The COLA adjustment shall be applied uniformly across all Medicaid-assisted living |
13 | rate tiers including, but not limited to, acuity-based or service-level rate categories. |
14 | (d) The COLA required under this section shall be applied automatically and shall not be |
15 | subject to annual appropriation approval, rate rebasing, or discretionary adjustment by the |
16 | executive branch, except as otherwise expressly provided by law. |
17 | (e) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the general assembly from |
18 | authorizing additional rate increases or rate restructuring beyond the COLA provided in this |
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1 | section. |
2 | (f) The EOHHS shall promulgate any rules and regulations necessary to implement this |
3 | section, including alignment with federal Medicaid requirements and state plan amendments, if |
4 | required. |
5 | SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage and shall apply to Medicaid assisted |
6 | living rates effective July 1, 2026. |
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EXPLANATION | |
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL | |
OF | |
A N A C T | |
RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES -- MEDICAL ASSISTANCE -- LONG-TERM CARE | |
SERVICE AND FINANCE REFORM -- ASSISTED LIVING COMMUNITY MEDICAID | |
RATES | |
*** | |
1 | This act would require the executive office of health and human services (EOHHS) to apply |
2 | an automatic cost-of-living adjustment (“COLA”) to the Medicaid reimbursement rates paid for |
3 | assisted living services provided pursuant to this chapter. |
4 | This act would take effect upon passage and would apply to Medicaid assisted living rates |
5 | effective July 1, 2026. |
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LC005203 | |
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