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Medicaid Buy-In
(Sherlock Plan)
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| Governor Don Carcieri signs the Medicaid Buy In legislation into law during the recent 8th Annual Employer Honor Roll event held at the Radisson Airport Hotel in Warwick. Joining Governor Carcieri for the ceremonial bill signing were, from left to right, State Representative Eileen Naughton, House sponsor of the legislation; Senator June Gibbs, Senate sponsor of the legislation; David Sienko, Vice Chairman, State Rehabilitation Council; Raymond Carroll, Administrator, Office of Rehabilitation Services; and Elaina Goldstein, Director of Public Policy at the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy and Executive Director for the Rhodes to Independence initiative. |
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With the stroke of a
pen, Governor Don
Carcieri recently
created a Medicaid
Buy-In law in Rhode
Island that will be
a major benefit to
Rhode Islanders with
disabilities seeking
employment.
The Medicaid Buy-In
law, also known as
the Sherlock Act or
Plan, will allow
qualified Rhode
Islanders receiving
SSI or SSDI payments
to continue
receiving government
subsidized health
coverage in the form
of Medicaid even if
they return to work
and exceed the
income threshold
that currently
exists for Medicaid
eligibility.
Rhode Island had
been the only New
England state
without a Medicaid
Buy-In law and
advocates for people
with disabilities
had made it clear
they wanted to see
Medicaid Buy-In pass
this year.
"Passage
of a Medicaid
Buy-In law was
critical to our
ongoing mission
of removing
barriers to
employment for
Rhode Islanders
with
disabilities,"
said Elaina
Goldstein,
Executive Director
for the Rhodes
to Independence
initiative. "We
applaud the
original
sponsors in the
House and
Senate, Rep.
Eileen Naughton
(D-Warwick) and
Senator June
Gibbs
(R-Middletown)
And the Governor
for their
leadership on
this issue.
Goldstein said
success in enacting
Medicaid Buy-In
legislation was the
result of a
concerted effort by
"key people who
realized that the
Medicaid Buy-In bill
was as much about
economic development
as it was about
health care."
Goldstein credited
Steve Kitchin,
Chairman of the
Rhodes to
Independence
Steering Committee
and Vice President
for Corporate
Education and
Training at New
England Institute of
Technology for his
testimony in support
of the legislation.
She also cited the
work of Bob Cooper,
Executive Director
of the Governor's
Commission on
Disabilities and Kip
Bergstrom, Executive
Director of the
Economic Policy
Council as critical
partners in the
passage of the
legislation.
