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HB 5619

AN ACT RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- RHODE ISLAND PROGRAM TO ADDRESS ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Mia Ackerman and 9 co-sponsors

Rhode Island requires the health department to embed brain health, dementia risk reduction, early detection, and provider tools into public outreach and medical education.

07/01/2025 Signed by Governor
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Bill Summary · HB 5619

Summary — HB 5619: Rhode Island Program to Address Alzheimer’s Disease

Status: Signed by Governor (effective upon passage, 07/01/2025)
Introduced: 02/26/2025 • Sponsors: Donovan; Shallcross Smith; Cotter; Fogarty; Casimiro; Ackerman; McEntee; Bennett; Dawson; McNamara

Purpose

HB 5619 amends the Rhode Island Program to Address Alzheimer’s Disease (chapter 23-1.7) by requiring the Department of Health, in consultation with the advisory council created under § 23-1.7-2, to incorporate standardized information about brain health, dementia risk factors and risk reduction, Alzheimer’s disease, and other dementias into existing public outreach and healthcare provider education programs.

Key provisions

  • Adds a new section 23-1.7-7 to state law requiring two primary actions:

    1. Public education and outreach
      • Integrate information on brain health, dementia risk factors and risk reduction, early warning signs, the value of early detection/timely diagnosis, and links between dementia and other chronic conditions into existing public health programs.
      • Ensure materials provide clear, uniform guidance in nonclinical terms.
      • Prioritize outreach to populations at greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias.
    2. Healthcare provider education and outreach
      • Educate providers about the importance of risk reduction, early detection, and timely diagnosis of cognitive impairment and dementia.
      • Promote validated assessment tools for detecting and diagnosing cognitive impairment.
      • Encourage use of validated cognitive assessment tools during Medicare Annual Wellness Visits.
      • Inform providers about Medicare care-planning billing codes, effective care planning for people with cognitive impairment, and available treatments.

  • Implementation is to occur through incorporation into existing programs (no separate program or appropriation is created).

  • Becomes effective immediately upon passage.

Who is affected

  • Rhode Island residents, particularly older adults and populations at higher risk for dementia, and their caregivers (who will be targeted by public outreach).
  • Healthcare providers (who will receive enhanced education about assessment tools, Medicare wellness-visit use, billing/care-planning codes, and treatment options).
  • The Rhode Island Department of Health and the statutory advisory council (responsible for consultation and implementation).

Likely impact and considerations

  • Expected outcomes: increased public awareness of dementia risk and early warning signs; greater use of validated cognitive screening tools; improved early detection and care planning; more consistent, nonclinical public messaging.
  • The bill does not appropriate new funding; implementation depends on Department of Health capacity and existing program resources.
  • By encouraging use of Medicare wellness-visit tools and billing codes, the measure may lead to increased screening and care-planning services for Medicare beneficiaries.

Legislative timeline (selected)

  • Introduced: 02/26/2025 (House Health & Human Services)
  • House passed: 04/10/2025
  • Senate concurrence: 06/21/2025
  • Transmitted to Governor: 06/25/2025
  • Signed by Governor / Effective: 07/01/2025

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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