Rhode Island lawmakers have proposed legislation that would require more of the state’s human service agencies to participate in the biannual caseload estimating conference. That’s a session for legislators to hear how many people are being served by programs like Medicaid, as opposed to how many people those programs projected they’d be serving. And there’s often a difference.
State Senator Lou DiPalma says it’s an effort to provide the public more transparency when it comes to budgeting. And it’s a way to give lawmakers more data before making decisions.
The law would require the Executive Office of Health and Human Services to detail spending on hospitals, long-term care, and medical care. The Department of Children, Youth, and Families would have to disclose spending on children in foster care. And the state’s behavioral health agency would have to report the costs of developmental disability and other mental health services.
