Rhode Island

Rhode Island

I've once again relaunched my project from last fall to track Medicaid enrollment (both standard and expansion alike) on a monthly basis for every state dating back to the ACA being signed into law.

For the various enrollment data, I'm using data from Medicaid.gov's Medicaid Enrollment Data Collected Through MBES reports. Unfortunately, they've only published enrollment data through December 2020. In most states I've been able to get more recent enrollment data from state websites and other sources. Unfortunately, Rhode Island is among the few states where I haven't been able to get ahold of post-2020 data yet, even estimates.

Rhode Island's total Medicaid enrollment (including ACA expansion) reached an all-time high of around 313,000 back in mid-2017. Since then it gradually dropped to around 290,000 just ahead of the COVID pandemic...but since then non-expansion enrollment has gone up by 7% and the ACA expansion population has risen by over 30%, meaning total enrollment is up 12% overall.

Delaware, Hawaii, Rhode Island

Now that I've developed a standardized format/layout & methodology for tracking both state- and county-level COVID vaccination levels by partisan lean (which can also be easily applied to other variables like education level, median income, population density, ethnicity, etc), I've started moving beyond my home state of Michigan.

Delaware, Hawaii and Rhode Island only have 3, 6 and 5 counties respectively, so it seemed a little silly to run separate graphs for each one (I was already pushing it by giving Connecticut (8 counties) its own entry). So...I've merged all three onto one graph.

It also seemed a bit disingenous to try and come to any conclusions about a trendline with these three states in particular, so I didn't bother (not that there's much to make of that anyway...every county in these states is running between 40 - 65% vaccinated, and within 30-55% Trump support...except for tiny Kalawao, Hawaii, which only has 86 residents (none of whom appear to have been vaccinated yet, according to the CDC?), which I didn't bother listing at all.

Anyway, I'm including them mostly for completeness sake.

  • 2020 Presidential Election results via DE, HI & RI Secretary of State's office (thru Wikipedia)
  • Vaccination data via COVID ACT Now database.

HealthSource RI becomes the latest state-based exchange to jump onboard the August 15th train...

Governor McKee and HealthSource RI Announce New Enrollment Period Extended Through August 15

  • Historic level of financial assistance is now available through HealthSource RI.
  • New Enrollment Period has been extended through August 15, 2021, adding three months to the previous May 15, 2021 deadline.
  • Starting April 1, most HSRI customers will have a lower monthly bill.
  • Beginning in summer 2021, HSRI will make more financial assistance available to people who previously did not qualify to receive it based on their income.
  • Individuals and families who have received unemployment payments in 2021 will be newly eligible for additional financial help for this year or may qualify for health coverage at no cost.
  • Rhode Islanders should enroll in coverage as soon as possible to take full advantage of these new benefits. 
  • The deadline to enroll is August 15, 2021.
HealthSourceRI Logo

This is from a couple of weeks ago; I'm reposting it standalone for clarity. via HealthSource RI:

New Federal Changes Mean An Increase In Financial Help for Most HealthSource RI Customers; New Customers May Also Enroll Now

EAST PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island (March 11, 2021) — Recent changes at the federal level mean most HealthSource RI (HSRI) customers will soon be paying less for their health coverage. This change will result in the federal government providing an additional $30 million dollars in Advanced Premium Tax Credits (APTCs) that will bring premium costs down for HealthSource RI customers.

My biggest takeaway from the press releases below is that everyone will be made whole (that is, those eligible for additional subsidies or newly-eligible for subsidies at all will receive them in full), but that it may take anywhere from a few weeks to several months for that to happen, so cool your jets.

Covered California:

Covered California Hails the Signing of the American Rescue Plan Which Will Benefit Millions

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Covered California’s executive director, Peter V. Lee, issued this statement following President Joe Biden’s signing of the American Rescue Plan. The landmark legislation provides new financial help to people who receive their health insurance through Affordable Care Act marketplaces like Covered California. The measure will lower health care costs by providing new and expanded subsidies to more Americans than ever before.

Add Health Source RI to the list:

HealthSource RI Joins President Biden and Announces New Health Coverage Enrollment Period

EAST PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island (February 1, 2021) — Following President Biden’s announcement on Thursday January 28, HealthSource RI has established a new enrollment period to give Rhode Islanders additional time to sign up for health coverage. Uninsured Rhode Islanders can enroll for coverage effective as early as March 1. HealthSource RI’s enrollment period will continue through May 15, 2021.

This enrollment period is open to all eligible uninsured Rhode Islanders, with no requirement to have a qualifying life event to enroll in health coverage.  Coverage starts the first of the month following a complete enrollment.

It's turned into an annual tradition: The official annual ACA Open Enrollment Period (OEP) runs from November 1st - December 15th, but most of the state-based ACA exchanges have later deadlines. hThen, right around the 12/15 point, it begins: One by one, some of the state-based exchanges announce further extensions of their deadlines to #GetCovered for the upcoming year.

In some cases they simply bump out the deadline for coverage starting in January, with the final "hard" deadline for February or March coverage staying where it is. In other cases they were never allowing Open Enrollment start dates past January to begin with, so it's the hard deadline which is being extended.

In any event, here's this year's batch of announcements; note that this list could grow longer over the next week or two:

Normally Rhode Island's Open Enrollment Period deadline ends on New Year's Eve (already 2 weeks longer than the federal OEP). This year they're bumping it out even longer:

HealthSource RI extending Open Enrollment period to help more Rhode Islanders get health coverage for 2021

Back in late July, the Rhode Island insurance dept. issued a press release with the preliminary 2021 rate filings for the state's individual and small group markets. At the time, the weighted statewide average increases being requested were around +5.0% and +2.2% respectively.

A month later, the RI DOI issued their approved 2021 rate decisions, and made some small tweaks to each. In fact, it looks like there was at least one revision in between, as the new press release lists slightly different numbers for the "preliminary" requests.

In any event, Rhode Island indy & sm. group enrollees will be looking at roughly 4.2% increases on the individual market and 2.6% increases for small group plans:

via the Rhode Island Insurance Dept:

2021 Requested Commercial Health Insurance Rates Have Been Submitted to OHIC for Review

CRANSTON, R.I. (July 21st, 2020) – The Office of Health Insurance Commissioner (OHIC) today released the individual, small, and large group market premium rates requested by Rhode Island’s insurers. The requests were filed as part of OHIC’s 2020 rate review and approval process (for rates effective in 2021). Tables 1 – 3, below, summarize the insurers’ requests for 2021, and provide the requested and approved rate changes for the previous two years. Two insurers, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI) and Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island (NHPRI) filed plans to be sold on the individual market for persons who do not receive insurance through their employer. In addition to BCBSRI and NHPRI, UnitedHealthcare and Tufts Health Plan filed small group market plans. Five insurers (BCBSRI, UnitedHealthcare, Tufts Health Plan, Aetna, and Cigna) filed large group rates.

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