Sustainable Social Services

To preserve a safety net that is secure and sustainable, the RI social services system must be reformed, re-inventing how services are designed and delivered. The state’s resources must be directed to those most in need of government’s assistance, with every dollar bringing maximum benefit.

why change?

  • The cost of social service programs, especially Medicaid, is increasing at a far greater rate than revenues and cannot be sustained
  • Medicaid spending is unfairly balanced toward certain recipient groups: 30% of Medicaid beneficiaries account for 78% of total Medicaid spending
  • Until now, Rhode Island ranks 47th in the nation for getting people from state assistance to work. 70% of families in the program have been on cash assistance for more than two years; 50% of those families have been on assistance for over 5 years, and 25% of those families have been receiving cash assistance for 10 years.

what needs to be done?

  • Reform Medicaid through the flexibility of the “Global Waiver”.
  • Consolidate state human service functions through the Executive Office of Health and Human Services.
  • Institute the “WorkFirst” Program.

what you can do

learn more

The RI Executive Office of Health and Human Services has a web page with several publications and links about Medicaid Reform.

Go to the website of the RI Department of Human Services and visit the links having to do with Medicaid Reform and the Global Waiver.