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VietnameseBy Susan Campbell and Ted Nesi
WPRI News
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – Officials have set an aggressive goal of removing 20,000 ineligible individuals from Rhode Island’s Medicaid rolls over the next four months as they try to address problems caused by the state’s troubled new computer system for benefits.
In testimony before the twice-a-year Caseload Estimating Conference, which advises lawmakers on the state budget, R.I. Executive Office of Health and Human Services said they want to terminate 2,300 ineligible Medicaid recipients in May. After that: 5,100 in June, 9,600 in July, and 3,000 in August, with another 1,500 slated for the fall.
Patrick Tigue, the state’s new Medicaid director, said the numbers represent the agency’s best estimate of how many ineligible people are currently on Medicaid, most because their incomes have risen beyond the program’s maximum. The new Unified Health Infrastructure Project (UHIP) computer system has been unable to track such changes accurately until recently, and the extra cost to taxpayers is running at roughly $1 million a month, he said.
“Our approach is to move as aggressively as we can but not any faster than that,” Tigue told Eyewitness News.
“What I mean by that is that we know we have an obligation both to Rhode Island taxpayers but also to the individuals who are enrolled in Medicaid to ensure that people who are on Medicaid, who deserve to be and who qualify, remain so, but also those that aren’t, are no longer,” he said.
Tigue said the first step will be sending letters to thousands of Medicaid enrollees who may or may not still be eligible for the program, seeking additional documentation on their incomes. He said enrollees will have 10 days to respond to those letters, and urged beneficiaries to make sure their addresses are up to date.
Tigue also said the state will not seek to get back money from individuals who received Medicaid benefits after they became ineligible.
The state’s timeline drew concern from Linda Katz, policy director of the Economic Progress Institute, which advocates for low-income Rhode Islanders.
“It probably is too aggressive to think about removing that many people who are ineligible based on income,” Katz said, saying state officials should ensure those losing Medicaid coverage receive help signing up for insurance through HealthSource RI.