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 What Is the Medicaid Global Waiver?
The Rhode Island Global Consumer Choice Compact Waiver is also known as the "Global Waiver" or "Medicaid Global Waiver". The General Assembly authorized the Executive Office of Health & Human Services and the RI Department of Human Services to seek a Global Medicaid Waiver from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The Global Medicaid Waiver includes all Medicaid populations and services in one waiver, ending the existing RIte Care waiver, long-term care waivers and other separate waivers. The new waiver provides a fixed amount of federal funds (or "cap") over the 5-year term of the waiver, instead of the previous federal match rate for each state dollar invested in Medicaid. The application for the waiver was submitted August 8th, 2008 . The General Assembly reserved the right to revoke the authority to implement the global waiver if the terms and conditions negotiated with CMS are not adequate. Rhode Island's application for a Global Medicaid Waiver was approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Friday, December 19th, 2008. The terms of the waiver are subject to the approval of the RI General Assembly. Currently, the General Assembly is considering Medicaid Reform Legislation (H-5112 and S-0053) to accompany the Rhode Island Global Medicaid Waiver that went into effect January 16, 2009.
The Following Related Documents Are Availible in PDF  : - Providence Journal coverage: State gets federal OK for Medicaid waiver and Medicaid pact heads to Assembly
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities' report, "RI's Medicaid Proposal Would Put Beneficiaries at Risk and Undermine the Federal-State Partnership." Testimony from Elizabeth Burke Bryant, Executive Director of Rhode Island KIDS COUNT, presented at the joint House and Senante finance committee hearing on the waiver held on August 5, and testimony from Joan Alker, Deputy Director of the Center for Children and Families, Georgetown University Health Policy Institute, also presented at the August 5 hearing. Letter to Michael O. Leavitt, Secretary of United States Department of Health and Human Services Other related documents are availible through the EOHHS & DHS Global Waiver Websites.
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