Requires healthcare insurers, without prior authorization, to provide post-acute care services to patients discharged from a hospital for a minimum of seven (7) days commencing on or after January 1, 2027.
Establishes the operations necessary for a 988 hotline for suicide prevention/behavioral health crisis management. Establishes the operations necessary for acute mental health crisis outreach/stabilization services in direct response to the 988 hotline.
Restates the UTGR Master Contract and the Twin River-Tiverton Master Contract and consolidates the marketing program of each into the Consolidated Marketing Program.
Establishes the framework to create a medical school at the University of Rhode Island and provides an initial appropriation of five million dollars ($5,000,000) as the first phase of a multi-year investment for the development of a medical school.
Allows EOHHS to implement waiver amendments, state plan amendments, and changes to department rules and regulations to make certain updates to the behavioral health per-diem add on program for particularly complex patients.
Maddy summarySB 2563 mandates an independent study by Rhode Island's auditor general to evaluate whether consolidating Medicaid prescription drug management would save costs and improve transparency. The study must compare four models used by other states, including single statewide drug lists (like Connecticut) or direct state contracting (like Kentucky), and assess impacts on state spending, pharmacy rebates, and beneficiary access. It requires full data access from pharmacy benefit managers and related entities - bypassing contractual confidentiality - to ensure the analysis uses complete information on drug expenditures and rebates. This bill directly affects Rhode Island's Medicaid program, which covers children, seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income families, by setting the stage for potential future changes to drug management.
Strengthens enforcement of the state's pharmacy audit law by clarifying and tightening audit procedures to ensure pharmacy audits are conducted fairly and transparently.
Creates a 17-member Commission to study Rhode Island’s healthcare workforce related to educating and retaining primary care providers and who would report back annually to the President of the Senate.
Creates commission to study medical malpractice issues relating to lawsuits, claims, settlements, filings and related impact on insurance costs for providers with report due 10/1/27 and expiration on 1/31/28.
Establishes a statewide “Healthy School Meals for all” universal school breakfast and lunch program in Rhode Island public schools phased in over 3 years.
