This bill introduces the Rhode Island Comprehensive Health Insurance Program (RICHIP), a single-payer health care insurance system designed to provide universal, comprehensive, and affordable coverage to all Rhode Island residents. The program is intended to replace the current multi-payer system with a more efficient Medicare-for-all style program, funded by consolidated government and private payments. The bill outlines the duties of the RICHIP director, the establishment of a RICHIP board, and the eligibility criteria for residents. It also details the benefits package, which includes services deemed medically necessary and currently covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act. The bill mandates the use of generic medications and allows for formulary updates, while setting provider reimbursement rates and prohibiting for-profit providers from charging above RICHIP rates.

The bill includes several insertions into current law, such as provisions for employer and employee tax credits, nullification of clauses that violate ERISA, and the establishment of a RICHIP trust fund for financing the program. It proposes a revenue model based on anticipated savings from a single-payer system and progressive contributions to the trust fund, replacing regressive health insurance payments. The bill also amends existing laws to increase sick leave accrual, redefine terms related to medical assistance, and adjust payment rates for Medicaid services. It repeals sections of the law that restrict eligibility for healthcare coverage and introduces new sections to improve the healthcare system, including the establishment of a commission to study healthcare aspects and the authorization of cost-sharing measures. The bill also creates restricted receipt accounts for Medicaid expenditures and opioid abatement efforts, and it aims to improve Medicaid by focusing on outcomes and redesigning payment methods. Finally, the bill requires the health insurance commissioner to conduct analyses on healthcare impacts and to monitor compliance with federal laws, while also amending tax rates and assessments for healthcare providers. The bill will take effect upon passage, but the implementation of RICHIP is contingent on obtaining necessary waivers and approval of the final financing proposal by the general assembly.

Statutes affected:
6399: 23-17-38.1, 27-34.3-7, 27-66-24, 28-57-5, 36-12-2.1, 40-8.4-13, 42-12.3-14, 44-17-1, 44-51-3