Requires Medicaid to cover services by licensed certified lactation counselors and EOHHS to oversee and implement the program and track related costs and use. It also ensures reimbursement consistent with similar providers.

Plain-English Summary

This bill would require Rhode Island's Medicaid program to pay for breastfeeding support services provided by licensed certified lactation counselors. Currently, these professionals may not be consistently covered under Medicaid, meaning low-income families who rely on the program might not have access to this type of care without paying out of pocket. The bill aims to close that gap by making lactation counseling an officially covered benefit.

The bill also assigns the state's Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) the responsibility of overseeing and putting the program into practice. EOHHS would be required to track how much the program costs and how often it is used, which helps the state monitor the program's impact over time. Additionally, the bill ensures that lactation counselors are paid at rates comparable to what other similar healthcare providers receive through Medicaid, so their compensation is fair and consistent.

The people most directly affected are low-income new mothers and their newborns who are enrolled in Medicaid and may need help with breastfeeding. Lactation counselors who are licensed and certified in Rhode Island would also be affected, as they would become eligible to bill Medicaid for their services. The bill is currently in the early stages of the legislative process, having been introduced and referred to the House Finance Committee for review.