Increases the Medicaid reimbursement rate for Tier C services in licensed assisted living residences by 13% starting January 1, 2027.

Plain-English Summary

This bill would increase the payment rate that Rhode Island's Medicaid program pays to assisted living facilities for a specific level of care, known as "Tier C" services. Tier C generally refers to a higher level of assistance provided to residents who need more significant help with daily activities like bathing, dressing, medication management, or other personal care needs. Starting January 1, 2027, these facilities would receive 13% more money per resident from Medicaid than they currently do.

The bill primarily affects two groups: assisted living facilities and the low-income residents who rely on Medicaid to help cover the cost of their care. Assisted living facilities that accept Medicaid patients would receive higher reimbursements from the state, which could help them cover staffing and operational costs. For residents, the goal is to help ensure that facilities can afford to continue accepting Medicaid patients and maintaining quality care, rather than limiting beds to those who can pay privately.

From a budget standpoint, this change would mean Rhode Island's Medicaid program — which is jointly funded by the state and federal government — would spend more money on these services beginning in 2027. The bill has been referred to the Senate Finance Committee, where lawmakers will likely examine the overall cost impact on the state budget before deciding whether to move it forward.