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HB 5461

AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- THE HEALTHCARE SERVICES FUNDING PLAN ACT

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

Creates a dedicated PRN funding account funded by insurer per-enrollee contributions to support psychiatry information lines and hotlines, with annual DOH projections and advisory

04/30/2025 Committee recommended measure be held for further study
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Bill Summary · HB 5461

Summary — HB 5461: The Healthcare Services Funding Plan Act (2025)

Status: Committee recommended measure be held for further study (04/30/2025)
Introduced: Feb 12 / Filed Mar 14, 2025
Committee: House Finance (referred); read 1st time 04/07/2025; subcommittee activity April 2025

Purpose / Intent

HB 5461 modifies Rhode Island’s Healthcare Services Funding Plan to establish a dedicated, restricted receipt account to fund a Psychiatry Resource Network (PRN) — a set of information/referral lines and hotlines (including existing PediPRN and MomsPRN) — and to specify how insurers’ per-enrollee contributions will fund that account. The bill also clarifies that PRN funds are exempt from the state's usual indirect cost recovery transfer.

Key provisions

  • Amends § 42-7.4-3 (Healthcare services funding contribution):

    • Changes the date when the secretary sets the per-enrollee healthcare services funding contribution from “January 1, 2016” to “July 1, 2025.”
    • Confirms that the contribution is assessed per contribution-enrollee and is in addition to other lawful fees/assessments.
    • Retains the transition provisions intended to avoid duplicate liability for insurers who previously paid under an earlier premium assessment method; requires the secretary to create a transition process.

  • Adds new § 23-1-46.2 to Chapter 23-1 (Department of Health):

    • Creates the Psychiatry Resource Network account (“PRN account”), a restricted receipt account in the general fund.
    • Directs amounts collected under § 42-7.4-3(a)(1)(iv) to be deposited into the PRN account.
    • Specifies allowable uses: coverage and operation of existing lines (PediPRN, MomsPRN) and any additional information lines, referral services, or hotlines available to providers/residents and funded by DOH regulation.
    • Requires the DOH to project each year’s PRN funding requirement and obtain approval from a PRN advisory committee.
    • Requires DOH to establish a PRN advisory committee (members may include DOH, Health Insurance Commissioner, Executive Office of Health and Human Services, Behavioral Health Dept., insurers, and others).
    • Requires an annual report to the General Assembly on program and costs by February 1 each year and mandates DOH provide insurers, upon request, detailed program cost information.
    • States the PRN account is exempt from indirect cost recovery under § 35-4-27.

  • Amends § 35-4-27 (Indirect cost recoveries on restricted receipt accounts):

    • Confirms a 10% indirect cost recovery applies generally to restricted receipt accounts, but lists numerous accounts that are exempt.
    • Explicitly lists “Healthcare services funding accounts for the psychiatry resource network (PRN)” among those exempted from the indirect cost recovery transfer (i.e., PRN funds will not be subject to the 10% transfer to the general fund).

Who is affected

  • Insurers: required to pay the per-enrollee healthcare services funding contribution that will include the PRN funding component; self-insured plans using third‑party administrators remain exempt where the TPA makes the payment.
  • Department of Health: responsible for administering the PRN account, projecting funding needs, creating the advisory committee, and reporting annually.
  • Providers and residents: may gain continued or expanded access to information/referral lines and hotlines (e.g., PediPRN, MomsPRN).
  • State budgeting: PRN funds will remain in a restricted receipt account and are exempt from the standard 10% indirect cost recovery transfer, so receipts will be used solely for PRN purposes.

Procedural / timeline notes

  • Introduced in early 2025 and referred to House Finance; first read April 7, 2025.
  • Public hearing was scheduled; subcommittee recorded “no action” April 14, 2025.
  • As of April 30, 2025, the committee recommended the measure be held for further study (no enactment to date).

Fiscal/administrative considerations

  • The bill creates a dedicated funding stream for PRN services via insurer-per-enrollee contributions; no explicit dollar amounts are specified in the text — funding levels are to be projected annually by DOH and approved by the advisory committee.
  • Exemption from the 10% indirect cost recovery preserves more of the collected funds for program services rather than general revenue.

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

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