February 14, 2011
Bills Introduced to the Rhode Island House (Corporations Committee), February 8-10
Carroll Andrew Morse
Significant Rewrites with Statewide Impact
| H5275 | Requires that health insurance cover autism spectrum disorders. |
| H5276 | Charges the RI Health Commissioner with using his powers to promote "patient centered medical homes". |
| H5279 | Authorizes a corporate entity called a "low-profit limited liability company". |
| H5305 | Establishes various administrative procedures regarding health-care provider contracts and rate negotiations. |
Targeted Changes with Statewide Impact
| H5274 | Aggregate rate increases by any utility over a 24-month period cannot exceed 2.5%. (California-style energy crises, here we come!) |
| H5278 | Adds shared living programs to the list of programs covered by the "Long-Term Care Ombudsperson Act of 1995". |
| H5304 | Authorizes the state insurance commissioner to act as an ombudsman for ERISA claims. (What's an ERISA claim you ask? A bit of introductory background is available, here). |
| H5306 | "Pharmacies are prohibited from charging uninsured customers of prescription drugs a price of more than twenty percent (20%) beyond the average price for that prescription drug which has been negotiated with all medical insurance companies". |