JOINT RESOLUTION MAKING AN APPROPRIATION OF $118,422 TO THE RHODE ISLAND PARENT INFORMATION NETWORK (RIPIN) (Appropriates the sum of $118,422 to the Rhode Island Parent Information Network (RIPIN).)

S2816

2026 -- S 2816
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LC005534
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
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J O I N T R E S O L U T I O N
MAKING AN APPROPRIATION OF $118,422 TO THE RHODE ISLAND PARENT
INFORMATION NETWORK (RIPIN)

Introduced By:
Senators DiPalma, Valverde, Ujifusa, Lauria, and Urso

Date Introduced:
March 04, 2026

Referred To:
Senate Finance
1
WHEREAS, The approximately 40,000 Rhode Islanders with coverage through both
2
Medicare and Medicaid, known as “dual-eligible enrollees” or “duals,” are some of the most
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medically fragile Rhode Islanders; and
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WHEREAS, Medicare and Medicaid are poorly coordinated programs, coverage options
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for duals are complex, and transitions in forms of coverage can have serious adverse impacts on
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duals if significant outside assistance is not available to ensure needed medical services continue;
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and
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WHEREAS, The Executive Office of Health and Human Services (“EOHHS”) had
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established, in conjunction with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) a dual-
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specific Medicare-Medicaid Plan (“MMP”) which integrated Medicare and Medicaid benefits
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within a single plan, operated by Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island (“NHPRI”) as
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Neighborhood Integrity, since July 1, 2016; and
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WHEREAS, CMS withdrew support for the MMP effective December 31, 2025,
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requiring EOHHS and NHPRI to end the Neighborhood Integrity plan and transition its enrollees
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into a new form of coverage known as a “Fully-Integrated Duel Eligible Special Needs Plan” or
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“FIDE-SNP”; and
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WHEREAS, In late 2023, EOHHS issued a procurement for Medicaid Managed Care
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services whereby awarded vendors would operate plans for duals that integrated Medicare and
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Medicaid benefits within a single plan, but EOHHS subsequently canceled that procurement,

1
leaving the future of the managed care delivery system for duals in Rhode Island in a state of
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confusion and flux; and
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WHEREAS, CMS has recently promulgated proposed rules which allow for more
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aggressive advertising of Medicare plans to enrollees including duals, while reducing
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enforcement of fraudulent or misleading behavior by Medicare plan brokers, and reducing the
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availability of trusted resources such as the Senior Health Insurance Assistance Programs
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(“SHIPs”), which are expected to lead to significant confusion for duals navigating an evolving
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and complicated menu of plans with fewer trusted resources to turn to when issues arise; and
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WHEREAS, Approximately 11,300 duals are currently enrolled in the NHPRI FIDE-
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SNP, and a further approximately 13,000 duals are enrolled in other dual-specific Medicare plans
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(called “dual special needs plans” or “D-SNPs”); and
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WHEREAS, RIPIN has operated, since 2016, Rhode Island’s Medicare-Medicaid Dual
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Ombudsman Program (the “RIPIN Dual Ombudsman”), which helps duals navigate complicated
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Medicare and Medicaid enrollment rules, Medicaid redeterminations, obstacles to health plan
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enrollment, claim and prior authorization denials, access to care challenges, provider disputes,
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and applications for other federally funded benefit programs; and
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WHEREAS, The RIPIN Dual Ombudsman is funded through Medicaid administrative
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matching with half federal Medicaid funding and half state funding, at the amount of $236,844
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all-funds ($118,422 general revenue) per year, serving 467 clients in 2025, with 4,705 individual
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client interactions, and with a 90% client satisfaction rate; and
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WHEREAS, The RIPIN Dual Ombudsman has helped its clients save more than $2.1
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million in health care costs since January 1, 2018; and
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WHEREAS, The Governor’s proposed fiscal year 2026-2027 budget proposes to
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terminate funding for the RIPIN Dual Ombudsman; and
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WHEREAS, An appropriation of $118,422 in general revenue would leverage an
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additional $118,422 in federal revenue and would allow the RIPIN Dual Ombudsman program to
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operate at current capacity for the 2027 fiscal year; and
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WHEREAS, Without the RIPIN Dual Ombudsman, there will be no dedicated resource to
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assist duals, and the sunset of that program would coincide with the largest system transition in
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the history of Rhode Island’s managed care duals delivery system; and
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WHEREAS, Continued funding for the RIPIN Dual Ombudsman is in keeping with the
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EOHHS Mission Statement “to foster and strengthen a community-driven, equitable,
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comprehensive, responsive, and high-quality health and human services system in Rhode Island”;
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now, therefore be it

LC005534 - Page 2 of 4
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RESOLVED, That there is hereby appropriated, out of any money in the treasury not
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otherwise appropriated for the fiscal year 2026-2027, the total sum of one hundred eighteen
3
thousand four hundred twenty-two dollars ($118,422) to RIPIN to continue the operation of the
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RIPIN Dual Ombudsman, with the expectation that such funds will be matched by federal
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Medicaid funds and administered by the office of the health insurance commissioner; and the
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state controller is hereby authorized and directed to draw their orders upon the general treasurer
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for payment of said sum, or so much thereof as may be from time to time required, upon receipt
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of properly authenticated vouchers.
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LC005534 - Page 3 of 4
EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
J O I N T R E S O L U T I O N
MAKING AN APPROPRIATION OF $118,422 TO THE RHODE ISLAND PARENT
INFORMATION NETWORK (RIPIN)
***
1
This resolution would appropriate the sum of $118,422 to the Rhode Island Parent
2
Information Network (RIPIN).
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LC005534
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LC005534 - Page 4 of 4