2006 Session

Below please find relevant legislation from the 2006 legislative session.

AFFORDABLE SMALL BUSINESS HEALTH INSURANCE

Affordable Plan Design
S2848 SUB A (H6999 SUB A)
This bill empowers OHIC to collaborate with stakeholders to guide insurer development of a coverage plan for the small group market. The innovative coverage will be designed to embody affordability principles that pull costs out of the system, while meeting a reasonable price point.

Reinsurance Plan
S2107 SUB A (H6905 SUB A)
This bill addresses the concern that Rhode Island’s uninsureds are increasingly low-wage employees of small employers. To retain employer and employee contributions to the system and prevent increased Medicaid and charity care enrollment, this bill authorizes a premium discount for Affordable Plans offered by United and Blue Cross, contingent upon the location and approval of funds.

Transparency
S3170 (H8243)
High deductible health plans are on the rise. Patients need access to quality data and cost of services by facility to make informed choices. This bill expands health care quality reporting beyond hospitals and nursing homes to include health care providers and requires an OHIC report to the legislature describing a path to patient access to cost data by March 15, 2007.

Rating Rules
H7649 (S2620) and H7354 (S2746)
OHIC recently reported evidence to the Joint Committee on Health Care Oversight that the small group rating reforms of 2000 were working to stabilize the market. This year several bills were introduced that would have shifted costs within the small group market, advantaging larger businesses while making insurance unaffordable to smaller businesses. These bills did not pass.

High Risk Pool Funding
H7926 SUB A (S2264 SUB A)
OHIC may pursue federal funding to develop a high risk pool for the individual market, contingent upon an assessment of any financial obligation of the state being presented to, and approved by, the general assembly.

Massachusetts Reform Review Task Force
H8247 AS AMENDED (S3172 SUB A)
This resolution would create a nineteen member special task force whose purpose it would be to make a comprehensive study of the Massachusetts Health Care Reform Plan and its potential applicability to the State of Rhode Island.

Dependant Coverage
H7145 SUB A (S2211 SUB Aaa)
This bill clarifies commercial coverage requirements for disabled adults and expands coverage of dependants under 25 years old to include part-time students.

Infertility Treatment Mandate
H7120 SUB Aaa - Article 34
Rhode Island may still have one of the most expensive infertility treatment mandated benefit of any state, but this article established some restrictions. Beneficiaries now must be 25-40; must have tried for 2 years and now have a lifetime cap of $100,000.

WELLNESS

Healthy Vending
H6968 AS AMENDED
This bill moves Rhode Island closer to cutting in half the number of Rhode Islanders with unhealthy and unsafe habits by restricting the sale of sweetened beverages in schools while promoting healthy choices.

Cessation Coverage
H7467 SUB A
The single biggest positive impact on Rhode Islanders’ health and health care costs has been policies that encourage smoking cessation. This bill expands coverage of smoking cessation programs and medications to the commercially insured, building on existing reforms.

Adult Flu Immunizations
H7414 SUB A (S2369 SUB A)
This act builds on the success of DOH’s childhood influenza vaccination program by adding adults to the program.

BALANCED HEALTH CARE DELIVERY SYSTEM

CON Reform
H8055 SUB A
This bill is a valuable first step towards a planning process to balance our state’s health care infrastructure. This bill provides new funding and resources for DOH to better evaluate Certificate of Need applications for health care provider capital expansions against overall state need for new services

State Planning
H7424 SUB Aaa (S2757 SUBAaa)
Seeking to inform efforts to reduce systemic inefficiency, this bill requires DOH to assess the existing state capacity and authority to perform coordinated statewide health planning, including a plan for the development and revision of strategic plans to improve the quality, accessibility, portability and affordability of the state's health care system.

ANYTIME, ANYWHERE HEALTH INFORMATION

Health Information Technology
H7120 SUB Aaa - BUDGET ARTICLE NO. 7
H.I.T. can cut health care costs and improve quality. If a Regional Health Information Organization (RHIO) proposes a Health Information Exchange (HIE) with capital costs not to exceed $20M, this article authorizes the state to contribute its share - defined by state employees and Medicaid as a portion of all health care users - contingent upon participation of domiciled insurers, self-insureds and Medicare.

SMART PUBLIC SECTOR PURCHASING

Municipal Purchasing
S2732 SUB B
Most cities, towns and regional school districts on their own do not have the clout and/or expertise to negotiate effectively with insurers as the state has. This bill offers them more leverage, allowing the joint establishment of an insurance corporation, to obtain insurance, and to enter into a cooperative risk management program.