Imposes a moratorium on the issuance of new home care provider, home nursing care provider and hospice provider licenses prior to 7/1/2031, and provides for health systems planning specific to these provider licenses during the moratorium by the DOH.

Rhode Island Bill Summary: Home Care and Hospice License Freeze

This bill would place a temporary freeze — called a moratorium — on the state issuing new licenses to home care agencies, home nursing care companies, and hospice providers in Rhode Island. The freeze would last until July 1, 2031, meaning no new businesses could receive approval to operate in these fields during that time. While the moratorium is in place, the Rhode Island Department of Health (DOH) would be responsible for studying and planning for the future needs of these types of healthcare services across the state.

The bill affects anyone who might want to start a new home care, home nursing, or hospice business in Rhode Island, as they would be unable to obtain a license to operate until at least 2031. It could also affect Rhode Island residents who rely on — or may in the future need — these services, since the number of licensed providers in these areas would not be allowed to grow during this period. Existing licensed providers would not be impacted and could continue operating normally.

The stated purpose of pairing the freeze with health systems planning is to give the state time to assess whether there is an actual need for more of these providers before allowing new ones to enter the market. This type of policy is sometimes used to prevent an oversupply of providers or to ensure quality and oversight. The bill has been referred to the House Health & Human Services Committee and is scheduled for a hearing.