RI State Report: Medicaid Fraud, Kidnapping + Seat Belt Laws
Saturday, May 11, 2013
This week’s State Report centers on the passage of two bills: one of which looks to curtail Medicaid waste and fraud, and another designed to help law enforcement more quickly locate kidnapping victims. Additionally, we’ll look at the House’s repeal of the sunset provision in the state’s seat belt law. Also on the docket is an executive order signed by the governor to promote workplace diversity, and the announcement that Rhode Island will participate in the Pew-MacArthur Results First Initiative.
Senate approves bill designed to limit Medicaid waste and fraud
On Tuesday, the Senate approved new legislation looking to prevent Medicaid theft in Rhode Island by using the latest technology available.
“There is technology available to stop waste and fraud before Medicaid dollars are spent on it, and we should be using it. Every dollar we save is a dollar that can be used to help the many people who genuinely need assistance,” said Sen. Elizabeth A. Crowley, the bill's sponsor.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThe legislation would use technology to prevent individuals, such as deceased, retired or sanctioned providers, whose names could be used to make fraudulent claims. It can also be utilized to identify suspicious patterns in claims that could designate fraud.
Crowley’s bill does not specify the exact technology that will be used, but Health and Human Services Secretary Steven Costantino is currently soliciting proposals for the new system. Costantino’s agency is also in the midst of crafting a new Program Integrity Unit to seek out waste and fraud within the state’s health and human service programs.
The legislation will now be sent to the House of Representatives for approval.
House passes ‘Kelsey Smith Act'
On Wednesday, the House passed legislation sponsored by Raymond H. Johnston Jr. designed to help police more quickly locate kidnapping victims.
Named after an 18-year old woman who was abducted and later found sexually abused and murdered, the “Kelsey Smith Act” requires that telecommunications services provide law enforcement with the call location information of an individual if requested by police in an emergency situation.
“It is important to note that currently law enforcement may have to wait several days before a provider responds to requests for a ping on a communication device, such as a cell phone, even though that information is immediately available," said Johnston, a Pawtucket police officer. This is unacceptable at a time when speed is of the essence, especially when a child has been abducted.”
Johnston’s bill will now go to the Senate for consideration. An identical Senate bill, sponsored by Sen. James E. Doyle has already passed the Senate and is currently in the House Committee on Corporations.
As of January, the “Kelsey Smith Act” has been implemented in Kansas, Nebraska, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Tennessee, Hawaii and Missouri.
House repeals sunset provision for seatbelt law
On Thursday, the House voted to repeal the sunset provision in the state’s seat belt law so that failure to wear seatbelts by adults will remain a primary offense.
“I think there’s still this notion floating around that refusing to wear a seatbelt is not a big deal,” said Rep. Anastasia P Williams, who sponsored the bill. “But it is a big deal. It is imperative for each one of us to educate others about the importance of wearing a seatbelt and traffic safety laws. It’s bad enough to lose the life a loved one in a car accident, but when that death could have been prevented, it’s even more difficult to bear.
Under the primary seat belt law, offenders can face an $85 fine. The legislation also specifies that police officers cannot search a vehicle, driver or occupant of a vehicle stopped for a seatbelt offense. Police can, however, search the vehicle and its occupants if another violation has been committed.
Prior to enactment of legislation, Rhode Island had a secondary seat belt law, meaning that the police could not stop a vehicle if someone inside was unbelted, but could issue a ticket for failing to wear a seat belt if the vehicle was stopped for another valid reason.
There were approximately 130 unbuckled fatalities in Rhode Island from 2008 to 2012. Half of those deaths could have been prevented if the occupant was wearing a seat belt, according to the Rhode Island Department of Transportation.
Chafee signs executive order on workplace diversity
On Thursday, Gov. Lincoln Chafee signed an executive order to promote increased workplace diversity in state government.
"Throughout Rhode Island's history, diversity has made this a better, more vibrant place to live and work," Chafee said. "For centuries, Rhode Islanders of all backgrounds, ethnicities, countries of origin, and skin color have strengthened our state and its economy, and this continues to this day. Therefore, to affirm Rhode Island's proud legacy of tolerance and diversity, I am signing into law Executive Order 13-05 with the goal of having our state's workforce and contracts better reflect the changing demographics of the state as a whole."
Chafee’s executive order asks state agencies to find ways to increase minority hiring and requires the Department of Administration to compile annual progress reports.
Minorities currently hold 15 percent of state jobs, despite making up nearly 25 percent of the state’s population.
Rhode Island named as Results First partner state
On Tuesday, Governor Lincoln Chafee announced that Rhode Island would participate in Pew-MacArthur Results First Initiative, which helps states assess the costs and benefits of policy options and use that data to make better policy-making decisions.
"Our state has made significant progress in the last two years toward promoting data-driven decision-making in budget and policy matters, as well as improving outcomes of state-run programs," said Chafee. "It is my hope that the technical support and policy matter expertise provided by Results First will allow us to build on recent achievements and strengthen our ability to provide quality services to Rhode Islanders. We are determined to examine nationwide best practices and pursue more program analysis in our policy and budget decision-making, and we look forward to collaborating with Results First in that effort."
Other partner states have been successful using the Results First model, and Rhode Island should expect similar results, said Gary VanLandingham, director of the Pew-MacArthur Results First Initiative.
In order to help states improve their decision-making goals, the partnership efforts include:
- Helping states measure the costs and benefits of policy options and use that data to make decisions based on results.
- Providing intensive assistance to help states to help them adopt and apply a cost-benefit analysis model to their own programs and policies.
- Identifying other areas that could benefit from the Results First approach to state policy making.
The Pew-MacArthur Results First Initiative is a collaborative initiative between the Pew Charitable Trust and the MacArthur Foundation.
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