RI H7400

Appropriates $118,422 in general revenue for fiscal year 2027 to the Rhode Island Parent Information Network (RIPIN) to continue the Medicare-Medicaid Dual Ombudsman Program, with the expectation of matching federal Medicaid funds totaling $236,844

Serves approximately 40,000 dual-eligible Rhode Islanders who have both Medicare and Medicaid coverage and are among the most medically fragile residents in the state

Program has operated since 2016, helping clients navigate enrollment rules, claim denials, prior authorization issues, access to care challenges, and applications for benefit programs, with a 90% client satisfaction rate

Responds to the Governor's proposed FY2027 budget which would terminate funding for the program, coinciding with major transitions in the dual-eligible managed care delivery system following CMS's withdrawal of support for the Medicare-Medicaid Plan effective December 31, 2025

Program served 467 clients with 4,705 individual interactions in 2025 and has saved clients more than $2.1 million in health care costs since January 2018