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HB 5466

AN ACT RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES -- MEDICAL ASSISTANCE

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Stephen Casey and 8 co-sponsors

RI would raise nursing-facility Medicaid residents' monthly personal-needs allowance from $75 to $100, adding $25 for discretionary items.

04/30/2025 Committee recommended measure be held for further study
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Bill Summary · HB 5466

Summary — HB 5466 (AN ACT RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES — MEDICAL ASSISTANCE)

Status: Committee recommended measure be held for further study (04/30/2025)
Introduced: February 12, 2025 (filed March 14, 2025)
Effective date if enacted: July 1, 2025

Purpose

HB 5466 proposes a targeted amendment to the state Medical Assistance statute to increase the monthly personal‑needs allowance (PNA) for Medicaid recipients residing in nursing facilities. The intent is to raise the discretionary cash amount residents may retain for personal items and incidental expenses.

Key provision

  • Amends R.I. Gen. Laws § 40-8-2 (definition of “nursing services”), subsection (v):
    • Changes the personal‑needs allowance for nursing facility residents from $75.00 per month to $100.00 per month.

All other statutory definitions and rules in § 40-8-2 remain unchanged by this bill.

Who is affected

  • Directly affected: Medicaid (Medical Assistance) beneficiaries who are in nursing facilities in Rhode Island and who currently receive a PNA of $75/month. Under the bill they would be authorized to retain $100/month for personal needs.
  • Indirectly affected: The Rhode Island Department of Human Services (DHS), which administers Medicaid and implements the PNA change; nursing facilities that assist with resident financial administration.
  • Fiscal impact: The increase will raise monthly payments retained by each eligible resident by $25. Aggregate cost to the Medicaid program will depend on the number of eligible nursing facility residents. The bill text does not include a fiscal note or specify funding offsets or federal matching details.

Procedural / timeline notes

  • Referred to House Finance upon introduction. Legislative actions show readings, referral to Intergovernmental Affairs, and a scheduled hearing on 04/25/2025.
  • On 04/30/2025 the committee recommended the measure be held for further study (i.e., no further action at that time).
  • If enacted, the statutory change would take effect July 1, 2025.

Practical effect

The change increases available monthly discretionary funds for affected nursing‑facility Medicaid recipients by 33% (from $75 to $100), modestly improving personal purchasing power for items and services not covered by Medicaid.

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

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