Bills affecting Senior (65+, Medicare/SS) in Rhode Island (2026 session)

Provides that licensed assisted living community is not required to hold a residential unit for a Medicare-eligible resident absent from the facility for a period exceeding 10 days unless EOHHS provides payment to the facility to hold the bed.

Allows members of the retirement system who served in the national guard or reserves and qualify as veterans, to purchase retirement service credits based on their years of service in the National guard or reserves.

Authorizes the secretary of the executive office of health and human services (EOHHS) to increase resource eligibility limits for persons with long-term care needs who reside at home to $12,000 for single persons and $18,000 for couples.

Includes the deputy chief of inspection and inspector within the provision of law related to retirement on service allowance relating to correctional officers.

Requires DCYF to establish segregated savings account for foster care child receiving SS, SSI, veterans benefits or railroad retirement benefits to manage the accounts and keep child eligible for future benefits.

Gradually phases in modifications to federal adjusted gross income over a five (5) year period for social security income, from twenty percent (20%) up to one hundred percent (100%), beginning on or after January 1, 2027.

Increases the yearly amount of money that retired teachers, who had been certified driver education teachers, could earn from fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) to twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000), without a reduction in their retirement benefits.

Allows teachers, state and municipal employees to retire when they have at least twenty-eight (28) years of active service and their retirement age, when combined with the number of their years of service reaches, the number eighty-five (85).

Changes the teacher and state employees' retirement benefit calculations' cutoff date from July 1, 2024, to July 1, 2012, for all retirement members eligible to and who retire on or after the new July 1, 2012, cutoff date.

Requires anyone engaged in the sale of goods or services, and who offers a discount to its customers’ for utilizing automatic payment systems, via ACH or EFT or similar payment systems, provide the same discount to any person who is sixty-five (65).

Allows teachers, state and municipal employees to retire upon the earlier of reaching age sixty (60) with thirty (30) years of service or the employee's retirement eligibility date under present state statutes.

Reinstates, for all teachers and state employees who retired after July 1, 2012, their annual cost of living adjustment for retirement plan year 2026.

Authorizes an annual two and one-half percent (2.5%) escalation for all active and retired police and firefighter's retirement pension allowance, compounded each year on January 1 following the year of retirement and continuing yearly, on that date.

Changes the retirement allowance based on accrued benefits.

Allows teachers to retire earlier upon what would be referred to as a Rule of 93, rather than the existing Rule of 95 under present state statutes.

Establishes a property tax deferral program for senior citizens, disabled persons or veterans.

Affords an option for police and firefighters to receive retirement allowances, without reduction, who seek retirement after twenty (20) years of service, upon reaching age fifty-seven (57).

Adds probation and parole officers to the list of state law enforcement professionals, for purpose of retirement on service allowance.

Exempts individual retirement accounts as a countable resource for public assistance. This act also prohibits the state as a creditor against an ABLE account in the event of death of a beneficiary.

Sets controls on Medicaid prescription drug costs by imposing transparency and accountability requirements on managed care organizations (MCOs) and their pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).