EOHHS Released Response to Comments 7/25/25
We would like to thank those of you who took the time to comment on the proposed changes to the State Plan Ammendment regarding CHW reimbursement by Medicaid. On Friday, EOHHS released their feedback to the commentary. The results are disheartening and we endeavor to remain hopeful for resilience through tumultuous times. Please view their responses here.
While we are still digesting this information, we wanted to ensure it was made available to those most affected ASAP.
Unfortunately, the critical role of CHWs and the opportunities to support their important work through Medicaid reimbursement has been adversely impacted by the fraudulent behavior of several bad actors who misappropriated Medicaid funding for their own purposes. In contrast to this behavior, countless times Rhode Island has been referenced on a national level as a glowing example of what a robust and advanced CHW workforce can accomplish. In our opinion, rather than narrowing eligibility or coverage, the state should provide adequate support for CHW services as a high-value strategy to reduce Medicaid’s overall cost of care, especially in light of the challenges and burdens our systems are currently facing.
Dr. Tonya Glantz, Executive Director of RIC’s Institute for Education in Healthcare and CHWARI’s Administrator, stated her frustration, “It is unconscionable that after all of our hard work over multiple years that dishonest people have taken all of this effort and undone it. It is inexcusable.”
Over the past month, CHWARI, CHWs, and a variety of community-based organizations collaborated on a document to suggest specific changes and compromises in the Medicaid provider manual and to strongly recommend that EOHHS establish a comprehensive community consultation process. It was submitted to EOHHS, and while we hoped that the suggested changes would be implemented at this time, we now hope that the commentary will provide a foundation for future advocacy efforts. View it here.
CHWARI has reached out to EOHHS multiple times, expressing the importance of collaborating with Medicaid to provide necessary training to CHWs and employers on Medicaid billing. Now that results of the commentary have been delivered, we will further advocate for training for those who still have questions on how to appropriately bill/operate under the new guidelines.
Lastly, we know that many CHWs are scrambling to submit for certification before the October deadline. We have culled a list of upcoming trainings for those who still need education hours and posted it here. We have both a bilingual certification workshop and a re-certification/ specialties workshop this week. We will continue to offer one-on-one portfolio help to those who have completed CHW training and who have read the RICB CHW application completely.
This is a tough beat. After we’ve all had time to carefully consider the current scenario, we would like to use this time as an opportunity to foster collaboration, connection, and support for each other. We are committed to supporting CHWs in RI going forward, no matter what. Thank you for your dedication and collaboration.
In solidarity.
The CHWARI