Rhode Island 2023 Regular Session

Rhode Island House Bill H5394 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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5	5	2023 -- H 5394
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7	7	LC001301
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9	9	S TATE OF RHODE IS LAND
10	10	IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
11	11	JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
12	12	____________
13	13
14	14	A N A C T
15	15	RELATING TO HUMAN SE RVICES -- RHODE ISLAND PATHWAYS PROJ ECT
16	16	Introduced By: Representatives Bennett, Kislak, J. Lombardi, Casimiro, McNamara,
17	17	Cruz, Shallcross Smith, Donovan, Ajello, and Handy
18	18	Date Introduced: February 03, 2023
19	19	Referred To: House Finance
20	20
21	21
22	22	It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
23	23	SECTION 1. Title 40 of the General Laws entitled "HUMAN SERVICES" is hereby 1
24	24	amended by adding thereto the following chapter: 2
25	25	CHAPTER 23 3
26	26	RHODE ISLAND PATHWAYS PROJECT 4
27	27	40-23-1. Short title. 5
28	28	This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Rhode Island pathways project." 6
29	29	40-23-2. Definitions. 7
30	30	(a) For the purposes of this chapter, and consistent with 42 U.S.C. § 11360(2) et seq., 8
31	31	"chronically homeless" means, with respect to an individual or family, that the individual or family: 9
32	32	(1) Is homeless and lives or resides in a place not meant for human habitation, a safe haven, 10
33	33	or in an emergency shelter; 11
34	34	(2) Has been homeless and living or residing in a place not meant for human habitation, a 12
35	35	safe haven, or in an emergency shelter continuously for at least one year or on at least four (4) 13
36	36	separate occasions in the last three (3) years; and 14
37	37	(3) Has an adult head of household (or a minor head of household if no adult is present in 15
38	38	the household) with a diagnosable substance use disorder, serious mental illness, developmental 16
39	39	disability, post-traumatic stress disorder, cognitive impairments resulting from a brain injury, or 17
40	40	chronic physical illness or disability, including the co-occurrence of two (2) or more of those 18
41	41	conditions. 19
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44	44	LC001301 - Page 2 of 5
45	45	(b) A person who currently lives or resides in an institutional care facility, including a jail, 1
46	46	substance abuse or mental health treatment facility, hospital or other similar facility, and has resided 2
47	47	there for fewer than ninety (90) days shall be considered chronically homeless if such person met 3
48	48	all of the requirements described in subsections (a)(1) through (a)(3) of this section prior to entering 4
49	49	that facility. 5
50	50	(c) For purposes of this chapter, "Medicaid-expansion population" means any individual 6
51	51	who became newly eligible to receive Medicaid-funded health coverage as of January 1, 2014 as 7
52	52	defined under the federal Social Security Act, 1902(a)(10)(A)(i)(VIII), and enrolled in such 8
53	53	Medicaid-funded health coverage. 9
54	54	40-23-3. Purpose. 10
55	55	The purpose of this chapter is to require the executive office of health and human services 11
56	56	(EOHHS) to conduct a study to assess the impact of using Medicaid funds to provide coverage for 12
57	57	the treatment of underlying conditions that contribute to homelessness. 13
58	58	40-23-4. Establishment of the Rhode Island pathways project pilot study. 14
59	59	(a) EOHHS shall conduct a study to assess the impact of using Medicaid funds to provide 15
60	60	coverage for the treatment of underlying conditions that contribute to homelessness, including the 16
61	61	costs to provide coverage for the chronically homeless population in the state; provided, that for 17
62	62	the purposes of this chapter, "treatment" or "treatment of underlying conditions that contribute to 18
63	63	homelessness" includes: 19
64	64	(1) Behavioral health services, including mental health and substance abuse services; 20
65	65	(2) Case management; 21
66	66	(3) Personal care and personal assistance services; 22
67	67	(4) Home and community-based services; and 23
68	68	(5) Housing support services, including rental payment assistance. 24
69	69	(b) EOHHS shall submit findings and recommendations, including any proposed 25
70	70	legislation, to the general assembly no later than January 1, 2024, and annually on or before January 26
71	71	1 thereafter. 27
72	72	40-23-5. Duties and responsibilities. 28
73	73	(a) The executive office of health and human services (EOHHS) will have the authority to 29
74	74	utilize Medicaid waiver funds to provide coverage for supportive housing for the chronically 30
75	75	homeless population in the state. 31
76	76	(b) In planning for the expansion of supportive housing services provided through 32
77	77	Medicaid managed care plans, EOHHS shall consider the following: 33
78	78	(1) Benefit eligibility, including criteria related to: 34
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82	82	(i) Health conditions; 1
83	83	(ii) Housing status; and 2
84	84	(iii) Current or potential system costs; 3
85	85	(2) Supportive housing services including, but not limited to: 4
86	86	(i) Outreach and engagement; 5
87	87	(ii) Housing search assistance; 6
88	88	(iii) Tenancy rights and responsibilities education; 7
89	89	(iv) Eviction prevention; 8
90	90	(v) Rental payment assistance; 9
91	91	(vi) Service plan development; 10
92	92	(vii) Coordination with primary care and health homes; 11
93	93	(viii) Coordination with substance use treatment providers; 12
94	94	(ix) Coordination with mental health providers; 13
95	95	(x) Coordination of vision and dental providers; 14
96	96	(xi) Coordination with hospitals and emergency departments; 15
97	97	(xii) Crisis intervention and critical time intervention; 16
98	98	(xiii) Independent living skills coaching; and 17
99	99	(xiv) Linkages to education, job skills training, and employment; 18
100	100	(3) Pursuant to § 40-8-17, EOHHS is directed and authorized to apply for and obtain any 19
101	101	necessary waiver(s), waiver amendment(s) and/or state plan amendment(s) from the Secretary of 20
102	102	the United States Department of Health and Human Services, that will ensure that individuals who 21
103	103	are chronically homeless have access to housing and supportive housing services; 22
104	104	(4) Financing and reinvestment strategies, including: 23
105	105	(i) Health care costs and housing status of current Medicaid-funded populations; 24
106	106	(ii) The degree to which accurate and up-to-date information on housing status is available 25
107	107	for current Medicaid-funded populations; 26
108	108	(iii) Health care costs of current residents of supportive housing; 27
109	109	(iv) Health care costs of the Medicaid-expansion population; 28
110	110	(v) Potential impact on costs to other systems, such as jails, long-term care, and treatment 29
111	111	facilities; 30
112	112	(vi) Affordable housing investments that can be leveraged to create new units of supportive 31
113	113	housing; and 32
114	114	(vii) Amount of flexible service dollars available to cover the costs that Medicaid cannot; 33
115	115	and 34
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119	119	(5) Administration of the benefit, including: 1
120	120	(i) The role of managed care; 2
121	121	(ii) The role of supportive housing service providers; and 3
122	122	(iii) Coordination with existing and emerging systems. 4
123	123	(c) EOHHS shall submit a report to the legislature regarding the status of its efforts, 5
124	124	including any proposed legislation, no later than January 1, 2024, and annually on or before January 6
125	125	1 thereafter. The report shall include: 7
126	126	(1) The status of proposed amendment(s) to expand Medicaid waivers pursuant to § 40-8-8
127	127	17; 9
128	128	(2) A description of housing and/or supportive housing services currently being provided 10
129	129	to the chronically homeless population in the state; 11
130	130	(3) An analysis of the effectiveness of providing housing and/or supportive housing 12
131	131	services at current levels in the state; 13
132	132	(4) Estimates of the cost and potential savings of expanding the program(s) to meet the 14
133	133	needs of the chronically homeless in the state; and 15
134	134	(5) Proposed eligibility criteria to qualify for supportive housing services. 16
135	135	SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 17
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142	142	EXPLANATION
143	143	BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
144	144	OF
145	145	A N A C T
146	146	RELATING TO HUMAN SE RVICES -- RHODE ISLAND PATHWAY S PROJECT
147	147	***
148	148	This act would require the executive office of health and human services (EOHHS) to 1
149	149	conduct a study to assess the impact of using Medicaid funds to provide coverage for the treatment 2
150	150	of the chronically homeless. 3
151	151	This act would take effect upon passage. 4
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153	153	LC001301
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