Evaluating the Implementation, Adoption and Outcomes of the Rhode Island HealthPact Plans & Global Waiver (2008)

Principal Investigator: Vincent Mor, PhD, Brown University

This study will evaluate the adoption, implementation, and outcomes of the HEALTHpact plan in Rhode Island, a small group plan with two levels of coverage based on several healthy living pledges. The study will use key informant interviews to identify a variety of different issues that have contributed to low enrollment in the program. 

In addition, this study will evaluate the design and implementation of Rhode Island's Global Consumer Choice Compact Waiver, which is the first federal waiver to "block grant" Medicaid for a state.  The research team will conduct in-depth interviews with key stakeholders, review pertinent documents, and observe relevant hearings and meetings in order to accomplish two goals: (1) Understand the circumstances that led to the Global Waiver proposal, its design, and its approval by the federal government; and (2) assess the very early implementation of the waiver itself, including an analysis of the spending cap and the risks the state assumed in agreeing to the cap in exchange for the waiver.

Publications

Miller, E. 2013. Block Granting Medicaid: A Model for 21^st Century Health Reform? New York, NY: Routledge.
(November 2013, Book)

Medicaid Block Grants: Lessons from Rhode Island's Global Waiver
(June 2013, Brief)

National Oversight of Sub-national Policy Making in Long-Term care: Rhode Island's Global  Consumer Choice Compact Waiver
(September 2012, Presentation)

Implementing Small Group Health Insurance Reform: The HEALTHpact Plan of Rhode Island
(December 2011, Article)

Affordability of Health Insurance to Small Business: Implications of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
(June 2011, Article)

The Design and Imlementation of National Health Reform: Lessons from Rhode Island's HEALTHpact Plan
(June 2011, Presentation)

The Influence of Benefit Design on Coverage Expansion Initiatives: Impact on Coverage Take-Up and care Utilization
(March 2011, Webinar)

Small Group Health Insurance Reform in Rhode Island: Promises and Pitfalls of the HEALTHpact Plan
(February 2011, Article)

Rhode Island's HEALTHpact Plan: Lessons for Small-Group Reform
(March 2010, Issue Brief)

Rhode Island's HEALTHpact Plan: Lessons for Small-Group Reform
(March 2010, Report)