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RI’s New Budget Considered a Win for Older Adults

Published in RINewstoday on June 15, 2026

As the 2026 legislative session wraps up, lawmakers approved a $15.2 billion state budget for Fiscal Year 2027. The budget blueprint (H 7127 Aaa) aims to provide economic relief, improve education and health care, and advance government reforms without raising broad-based taxes or fees.

According to House Communications Director Larry Berman, the House floor debate began at 3:35 p.m. on Friday, June 5, and lasted 3 hours and 45 minutes.  House lawmakers offered 16 amendments, and 10 were approved (none of these targeted aging programs and services). At 7:20 p.m., the budget passed on a vote of 65 to 10, with 64 Democrats and one independent voting in favor, while all 10 Republicans opposed it.

Greg Pare, Senate Communications Director notes: “On Tuesday, June 9, 2026, the upper chamber debated the House proposal for two hours and 17 minutes, beginning at 4:20 p.m. and concluding at 6:37 p.m. Senators considered 12 amendments, but none were approved. The Fiscal Year 2027 budget passed 32-6 without changes. Senators Samuel W. Bell (D-Dist. 5, Providence) and Leonidas “Lou” Raptakis (D-Dist. 33, East Greenwich and West Greenwich) joined the four Republican Senators in opposing passage of the budget proposal.”

Three days later, Gov. Dan McKee signed the 393-page Rhode Island General Assembly Fiscal year 2027 budget proposal at 10:30 a.m. at Children’s Friend in Providence.

While much of the attention surrounding the Fiscal Year 2027 budget focused on programs and services, lawmakers also approved several significant policy changes and revenue measures. Chief among them is a new tax on annual income exceeding $1 million. The phased-in surtax is expected to generate approximately $142 million annually when fully implemented, providing additional revenue to help support state services and offset potential reductions in federal funding.

The state’s budget also creates an independent Office of Inspector General to strengthen government accountability and oversight. In addition, the Rhode Island General Assembly approved increased funding for hospitals, behavioral health and home-care providers, child welfare programs, public transit, and higher education, while authorizing an audit of the Rhode Island Department of Transportation.

Investing in Rhode Island’s Aging Programs and Services

Although these initiatives will affect Rhode Islanders across all age groups, the budget also contains provisions that directly impact older adults, caregivers, and aging-service providers throughout the Ocean State.

The Fiscal Year 2027 budget expands eligibility for exempting Social Security income from state taxation by removing the age threshold. Under current law, taxpayers who have reached full Social Security retirement age (67 or older) and have incomes below $107,000 for individuals and $133,750 for joint filers are exempt from paying state income tax on their Social Security benefits. With the passage of the budget, the age requirement has been eliminated.

The state budget also increases funding by $200,000, bringing total funding for senior services grants to $1.8 million.

Meals on Wheels, which provides nutrition services to older adults, was also on lawmakers’ radar. The budget increases funding for the program by $50,000, bringing total state support to $730,000.

The Rhode Island General Assembly’s approved budget allocates $4.1 million to fund the “Eat Well, Be Well” program for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients. This funding will help older Rhode Islanders struggling with the high cost of groceries.

Under the program, eligible SNAP households will receive an incentive of 50 cents for every dollar spent on fruits and vegetables, with the benefit loaded onto their electronic benefits transfer (EBT) cards, up to a maximum amount to be determined by the Rhode Island Department of Human Services.

The budget also increases funding for the Rhode Island Community Food Bank by $1 million, bringing total state support to $2.95 million to address food insecurity among families, including older adults.

In response to a significant increase in complaints regarding care, the budget provides additional funding to the state’s Office of Healthy Aging to support the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, administered by the Alliance for Better Long-Term Care.

The budget allocates funding for full cost-of-living increases in nursing home reimbursement rates, with 80 percent of the increase directed toward direct-care staff compensation. Gov. McKee’s proposed budget had limited the increase to 2.5 percent.

As for the state’s nursing facility minimum staffing requirements, the budget includes $200,000 to implement the Nursing Home Staffing and Quality Care Act. The provision requires the Rhode Island Department of Health to enforce staffing requirements at all nursing homes. The funding will support contracted services to collect and analyze data and calculate penalties for noncompliant facilities.

The state budget also includes $3.1 million to begin a phased opening of new beds at the Rhode Island Veterans Home. The funding is expected to increase capacity by 16 beds in each of the next two years, bringing the facility to its maximum capacity of 192 residents.

Assisted living facilities will see increased Medicaid reimbursement rates for caring for residents with dementia and those with higher personal-care needs. Advocates say the increase will help facilities accept and care for these residents while reducing premature nursing home placements.

The Fiscal Year 2027 budget also doubles the amount of assets that Medicaid home-care recipients may retain, helping older adults cope with rising housing costs and other basic needs.

Several provisions within the budget are intended to address the growing shortage of primary care providers, including assisting providers with medical school costs and seed funding for a new medical school at the University of Rhode Island (both of which were components of the Senate’s package of priority health care bills).

In addition, the budget fully funds rate increases for home- and community-based services recommended by an Office of Health Insurance study. The governor’s budget proposal had funded only half of the recommended increases. SACRI says the additional funding should improve worker compensation and help prevent waiting lists for services.

A nursing home behavioral health per diem add-on included in the budget provides additional resources for facilities caring for residents with both nursing and behavioral health needs, helping to avoid unnecessary transfers to acute-care settings.

Finally, an additional $13.5 million was included in the Fiscal Year 2027 budget to help the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority maintain services and avoid service reductions.

The Aftermath: Lawmakers and Aging Groups Debate Budget Proposals’ Impact

“I am proud of this budget, which addresses the concerns and struggles of everyday Rhode Islanders, including our older residents, who need access to health care, who need to be able to pay their bills, and who need to know that their government is honest and effective,” said Christopher R. Blazejewski.  “This budget is the result of months of listening, prioritizing, and identifying ways to fix what isn’t working, he stated.

“It provides relief today while being fiscally responsible and putting our state in a better position in the years to come,” notes Blazejewski.

“This budget reflects many of the Senate’s priorities, including funding health care initiatives and supporting seniors and Rhode Islanders in need,” said Senate President Valarie J. Lawson (D-Dist. 14, East Providence). “This is a responsible, balanced budget that provides relief for Rhode Islanders, including our older residents, while investing in and strengthening programs that support seniors, she says, noting that it complements other legislation the Senate passed this year to support older adults. She sponsored legislation to protect against the growing national threat of deed theft, a scam by which thieves defraud seniors of their real estate.

“These budget decisions reflect real progress for Rhode Islanders who rely on long-term services and community supports,” said Executive Director Carol Anne Costa. “We are encouraged to see the state make investments that strengthen care, support the workforce, and help older adults remain in the settings that best meet their needs.”

According to Costa, “SACRI fully intends to return in the next session to pursue the Medicare Saving Program’s asset test removal, the creation of the Office of the Elder Advocate, and secure a tax credit for caregivers. “These efforts do not come with huge price tags and in fact, infuse money back into the RI economy,” says Costa.

Costa emphasizes that Rhode Island’s aging population and adults with disabilities deserve nothing less, as the organization continues to be the voice for progress on their behalf.

“As the cost of food continues to skyrocket, our seniors, those with long-term care, and other Rhode Islanders living on a fixed income are being further squeezed. This budget helps ensure they can still get the healthy meals they need through targeted investments in SNAP and organizations like Meals on Wheels and the RI Community Food Bank. This budget brings us closer to ensuring food security for all Rhode Islanders,” says Lt. Gov. Sabrina Mattos, says  Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos, chair of the state’s Long-Term Care Coordinating Council.

“We appreciate the legislature’s commitment to strengthening Rhode Island’s long-term services and supports through this year’s budget,” says Mag Morelli, president of LeadingAge Connecticut & Rhode Island. “The investments in assisted living, community-based services, and nursing home care recognize the growing needs of older adults.

By supporting Medicaid reimbursement rates that more closely reflect the cost of care, this budget helps providers deliver essential services while promoting stability, access, and choice for aging Rhode Islanders.”

Hopes Dashed: Budget Fails Rhode Island’s Caregivers

Meredith L. Sheehan, Director of Public Policy, Alzheimer’s Association, Rhode Island Chapter: “More than 22,000 Rhode Islanders live with Alzheimer’s disease, and 37,000 serve as caregivers. We applaud budget investments in senior centers, the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, and assisted living providers, but are disappointed funding was not included for a Dementia Services Coordinator, a dedicated position needed to develop a coordinated statewide response to dementia.”

“I am encouraged by the 2027 budget’s funding that strengthens our support for people with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia (ADRD) and their caregivers, including increased Medicaid reimbursement for specialized assisted living and for nursing home care,” says Chris Gadbois, DNP, RN, chair of RI’s Council on ADRD.

“People’s ability to remain safely in their homes will be supported by increased rates for home and community-based services and an increase in the asset limits,” notes Gadbois.

However, like Sheehan, Gadbois expressed disappointment that funding for a state Dementia Service Coordinator within the Rhode Island Department of Health was not advanced in the past budget proposal, adding, “We will continue to collaborate with state leadership for this critical position, as well as reintroduce legislation to ensure healthcare providers’ and facilities’ competency in caring for individuals with dementia.”

“The Office of Healthy Aging appreciates Governor McKee’s continued commitment to older Rhode Islanders and to the systems of support that help people age with dignity, connection, and independence. We remain focused on working with state and community partners to strengthen access to services and supports for older adults, caregivers, and families across Rhode Island,” says Maria E. Cimini, MSW, Director, RI Office of Healthy Aging.

Lori Light, the state’s long-term care ombudsman, welcomes FY 2027 budget investments in aging-in-place programs. “It strengthens our advocacy for nursing home and assisted living residents,” Light said. She urges continued funding to expand ombudsman services, allowing the agency to handle increasingly complex complaints and ensure all residents receive timely support.

To view all provisions of  H 7127Aaa, the state’s enacted 2027 Fiscal Year Budget proposal, go HERE – https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText26/HouseText26/H7127Aaa.pdf

2025: A Year on the “Age Beat” in Rhode Island

Published in RINewsToday on December 29, 2025

Throughout 2025, this “Age Beat” columnist published a weekly commentary covering an extensive list of aging, healthcare, and medical issues. During this year, this columnist followed Congressional debates inside the Beltway involving Medicare, Medicaid, reauthorization of the Older Americans Act, and Social Security, reporting on how these federal policy proposals would affect older Rhode Islanders.  During the latest legislative session of the Rhode Island General Assembly, policy debates on Smith Hill were also covered in my weekly commentaries, examining how the proposed bills or enacted laws would impact state programs and services serving Rhode Island’s growing older population.

After reviewing the latest U.S. Census Data, it becomes very clear that the state’s aging population continues to grow.  For more than twenty-five years, I have tracked and continue to follow the graying of Rhode Island’s population.  Through more than 50 articles published in 2025 in Blackstone Valley Call & times and its sister publications, RINewstoday, Senior Digest and other statewide outlets, these stories have decoded complicated public policy debates, and demographic trends to shed light as to how they affect the daily lives of older adults, their caregivers, and nonprofit organizations that serve them.   

Some might interpret my weekly reporting as a way that specifically looks at older adults as one group of people.  However, others might see them on how aging impacts our own family members and our neighbors, and how we all deal with real-life challenges as we get older.

 Themes from Past Year’s Coverage

 Over the past year, several themes have become clear:  the economics of growing older and financially surviving retirement; staying safe from increasing sophisticated scams, public health issues surrounding loneliness and food insecurity; limited public transportation, finding a primary care physician, and managing multiple chronic illnesses.  Many of these commentaries also looked closely at state and federal policies that led to cuts in Medicare and Medicaid; the pressure points placed on Rhode Island’s safety net; and the ongoing policy questions the Rhode Island General Assembly is asking about how to help older adults stay independent at home—not just to live  longer, but live better.

You learn very quickly that national policy debates don’t go the same way here,, if you’ve lived in the Ocean State for a while.  A change in federal requirements of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or changing eligibility requirements and cuts to Medicaid funding are not distant Washington stories reported by the Washington Post or New York Times especially if they affect food, meal deliveries and health care provided in Providence, Pawtucket, Woonsocket, or Westerly. A change in Medicare drug pricing is not an abstract concept if it determines whether your older neighbor can fill a lifesaving prescription—or whether your spouse’s non-drug compliance stretches pills just to make them last.

 Many of these articles were tied to timely triggers—AARP reports detailing findings of national surveys and polls, a Senate Aging Committee or Congressional hearing putting a spotlight on an aging issue, a proposed legislative proposal being considered by Congress or the Rhode Island General Assembly. But the reporting doesn’t just give a concise summary of a policy issue. The point of these commentaries is to shed light on the issues by asking: “So what does this mean for older Rhode Islanders?” Where are the funding gaps?”  “Who is being left out?  “What can be done now while larger reforms slowly grind their way forward, only to be enacted years later?”

 Many of the commentaries published this year focused on out-of- pocket costs that increase with one’s aging —especially skyrocketing medical expenses. Even when Medicare covers a significant portion of one’s care, many older adults still face overwhelming costs, from premiums and co-pays to dental and vision needs, to uncovered services and especially costly prescription drugs and nursing home care.  The reporting also examined pending questions about Medicare’s financial future, including whether the program will be able to pay beneficiaries full benefits beyond 2033, or face potential benefit cuts.  Even the Washington, DC-based National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare’s call for expanding the retirement program, along with raising the cap to enable Social Security to pay its bills made it into these commentaries.

 Another common theme in this year’s published commentaries is the recognition that aging affects not only our bodies and wallets, but also our emotions and relationships as well. The past year’s reporting on the role of loneliness and isolation serves as a reminder of how harmful they can be, especially when they lead to worse health outcomes.  In these writings, the goal is not to romanticize “community” but to show how social connection and networks in a “community” can be a good way to improve one’s health.

 The commentaries on loneliness do not regard the negative emotional response as a personal deficiency but rather as a significant policy concern influenced by the persistent scarcity of affordable housing, inadequate public transportation, mobility limitations, the loss of spouses and friends, and communities designed around the use of cars rather than their pedestrian walkability or accessibility.  How we view this matters because it is the framing that shifts the discussion away from “Why don’t older adults get out more?” to “What community barriers make connections harder to make—and what public supports are needed to make community connections possible?”

 Taking a New Look at Being Age-Friendly

The commentary on “age-friendly” thinking shows how Rhode Island’s 39 cities and towns can change their programs, services, and public spaces to keep older adults engaged in their community instead of primarily isolated. The announcement that the City of Pawtucket had joined Newport, Cranston, Providence, Westerly, and Bristol to become one of Rhode Island’s Age-Friendly Network Communities is an example.  We hope to report on more communities doing the same.

Over the past year, coverage of food insecurity, and a profile on the Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island, have helped to answer bigger policy questions:  What happens when demand goes up but and payments don’t? How do people get on waiting lists?  “What does “service disruption” mean for someone living at home? And how much does it cost—both in money and in people, when these programs have to be cut back?

One of the most important things we’ve reported on this year is consumer protection, especially when it comes to scams that target older people, because they are often the ones that more easily fall for scams because they have savings and are concerned about them, aren’t as familiar with digital manipulation, or have cognitive impairment.  There are many reasons why this topic is important right now, especially with new technology being used to spread scams.  And the Rhode Island General Assembly has been quick to act.  One commentary informed readers that Rhode Island has passed a new law to crack down on Crypto ATM fraud, making it the 12th state to do so.

 The best reporting on scams doesn’t just explain the tricks and why people fall for them – it also keeps the reader updated as to how scams keep changing.  Plus, it gives you practical tips as to how to avoid them, like pausing before you respond, double-checking what you’re told, and turning to someone you trust if something feels off, verifying, and seeking trusted help before acting. I wrote about these tips in great detail.

These consumer protection commentaries didn’t blame the victims, rather by framing scams as a systemic program caused by new technology and weak verification standards. And it makes this point clear.  Scams are not just seen as financial crimes; they can also cause shame, isolation, and stress that can harm your health.

 Caregiving is also another common topic in this year’s published commentaries. Aging advocates will tell you that caregivers are the hidden backbone of providing care to those in need.  They will tell you that family members, friends, and neighbors help out in ways that would otherwise need paid services or institutional care.  An AARP report says that about 121,000 in Rhode Islanders provided unpaid care to others in 2021 – estimated to be valued monetarily at over $2.1 billion.

 These commentaries on caregiving don’t talk about it in terms of sentiment, but in terms of policy, taking a look at time costs, impact on jobs, burnout, and the lack of enough respite support. The reporting also helps to shed light on common caregiver stress, and that needing help is not a personal failure but a normal result of  demographics and underfunded state programs and services.

When National Policy Hits Close to Home

In Rhode Island, where community-based services are important  to “aging in place,” the weekly coverage has helped readers to understand the whole long-term care continuum—from home care to day care to senior centers to assisted living to nursing home care, if needed.

 At best, access to health care is uneven; transportation is a barrier to many; affordable, accessible housing is limited; and the Medicaid-funded workforce that helps people stay at home is overworked and underpaid.  Older adults are dealing with rising costs for food, utilities, and rent or home upkeep, as well as the effects of inflation.

 Although many of this year’s commentaries put the spotlight on policy issues that need to be fixed, they also provide state policy makers ideas to solve these issues.  These are advocacy groups age-friendly planning; stronger protections for consumers; smarter use of technology; and increased state funding that treats community-based supports as cost-effective interventions rather than optional add-ons.

Meals on Wheels Rhode Island: New Strategic Plan Builds Resilience, Growth 

Published in RINewsToday on November 25, 2025

Today, nearly 13 million older Americans worry about having enough to eat, and a 2020 University of Michigan poll conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic found that 56% feel lonely—a level so severe it has been declared a public health epidemic.

Although the historic federal shutdown has ended, reimbursement for local Meals on Wheels providers remains uncertain, warned Meals on Wheels America (MOWA) President and CEO Ellie Hollander in response to the passage of the continuing appropriation ending the federal government shutdown.

According to Hollander, these funding delays caused serious financial strain for 9 in 10 local programs, which depend heavily on federal dollars through the Older Americans Act Nutrition Program. In fiscal year 2024, for the first time in a decade, this federal program was cut.  About 41% of providers rely on it for at least half of their operating budgets, she stated.

Hollander noted that prior to the 43-day shutdown, one in three Meals on Wheels programs had a waitlist, with an average wait time approaching four months—and some stretching to two years. The lingering effects of the shutdown, combined with flat federal funding and recent cuts to SNAP and Medicaid, will only deepen food insecurity among older adults and cause waitlists to grow even longer, she predicted.

Providing Nutritious Meals to Rhode Island’s Most Vulnerable

Meals on Wheels of Rhode Island (MOWRI) is one of 5,000 community-based providers (operating both home-delivered and congregate meal programs) nationwide, serving an estimated two million older adults, in total. Collectively, there are more than two million volunteers and 100,000 paid staff supporting these efforts.

MOWRI is not an affiliate of MOWA and is an independent nonprofit organization.  MOWRI reports a strong fund development portfolio, in addition to federal and state grant through the Older Americans Act and administered by the R.I. Office of Healthy Aging. The organization expects to raise more than $1 million through grants, individual donations, corporate partnerships, events and campaigns this year. Each year, more than 1,500 individuals make a gift to MOWRI.

A Solid History in RI

Founded in 1969 by gerontologist Joseph Brown, MOWRI began by serving hot lunches that met one-third of an older adults’ daily dietary requirements to just 17 Providence seniors along a single delivery route. By 2024, the organization had grown significantly. That year, 472 volunteers drove a combined 398,100 miles, visiting 3,738 clients Monday through Friday across 260 service days. Volunteers delivered 421,553 meals on 90 delivery routes statewide and conducted 328,000 well-being checks and social visits.

 In 2025, MOWRI is serving 77% more meals each weekday than five years ago and has expanded its reach to more at-risk populations in addition to homebound older adults, including pregnant and postpartum women and those living with HIV/AIDS and other chronic illnesses.

Responding to changes in federal funding for nutrition programs, combined with next year’s state economic outlook characterized by moderate revenue growth, MOWRI released its 15-page 2030 strategic plan,  Building Resilience, Deepening Impact, last week. “Our bold new strategy will allow us to extend our reach and improve the lives of even more Rhode Islanders through expanding our role as sector leaders, ensuring sustainable organizational growth, increasing our impact, and driving quality in all that we do,” said MOWRI Board President Christina Pitney in a statement announcing the plan on Nov. 19.

5-Year Plan Expands Nutrition & Wellness for Homebound

According to MOWRI, its five-year plan “utilizes a ‘Food for Service model’ to concurrently tackle food insecurity and social isolation with the goal of reducing loss of independence among homebound and frail older adult Rhode Islanders.” MOWRI’s Home-Delivered Meal Program offers daily, fully prepared nutritious meals to homebound Rhode Islanders delivered right to their door. With the delivery of the meal, the volunteer driver performs a safety-assuring wellness check along with a social visit.

MOWRI’s Emergency Meal Program is a component of the home-delivered meal service.  This program is specifically designed to provide a back-up supply of non-perishable food for clients to ensure that they have access to food if their regular daily meal delivery is interrupted by severe weather or other emergencies.

Eligibility for the traditional Home-Delivered Meal Program requires clients to be age 60 or older or qualify through a state waiver program. Participants must be homebound—unable to safely leave home without assistance—and cannot be enrolled in adult day care or a community dining program on days they receive home-delivered meals. For the Capital City Café Program, clients must be 60 years of age or older, or under 60 and living with a disability or receiving general public assistance.

MOWRI enters the 2030 planning period from a position of exceptional strength, the strategic plan notes, stating that its paid staff and volunteers have delivered more than 21 million meals to date and expanded services statewide, including Block Island. With decades of experience supporting older adults through nutrition, safety checks, social connection, and health-focused programming, the organization is now preparing for its next phase of growth. However, the plan also acknowledges rising service demands, stagnant public funding, and increasing competition, while emphasizing that MOWRI’s strong financial reserves, trusted reputation, and culture of innovation provide the foundation for deeper impact.

Stakeholder input, interviews, data analysis, and national best practices all point to the same conclusion: MOWRI must expand its role in the health, aging, and equity ecosystems while building the infrastructure necessary to sustain long-term progress. The strategic plan suggests that MOWRI’s “More Than a Meal” model evolve into a public health intervention. With changing demographics among the state’s aging and vulnerable populations, the organization seeks to further expand home- and community-based services to persons with disabilities, people under age 60, rural residents, school-aged children, perinatal clients, and those living with chronic illness.

MOWRI also seeks to enhance private-pay options designed for caregivers, individuals living alone, and those recovering from surgery or illness.

Recognizing the Importance of Partnerships

The strategic plan calls for using its existing and new partnerships with hospitals, health care systems, Medicaid providers, and insurers to allow the organization to support hospital discharge planning, chronic disease management, and post-hospitalization recovery. Meanwhile, this plan also foresees standardized health assessments and referral practices conducted during meal delivery, ensuring that staff who have direct in person interaction with clients and volunteers play a direct role in supporting participant health and safety.

The strategic plan calls for providing medically tailored meals that meet both the clinical and cultural needs of clients, elevating MOWRI’s position as a statewide demonstration site for Food-Is-Medicine initiatives.

The organization also intends to investigate nutritional counseling and other health-supportive services that improves medical outcomes and promotes aging in place. Additional priorities of this new strategic plan include the establishing well defined criteria to evaluate new programs based on its organizational mission, fiscal stability, and organizational capacity; strengthening the organization through succession planning, leadership development, expansion of volunteer base,  and targeted recruitment; and adopting organization-wide data systems to improve evaluation and decision-making.

Increased use of the Mobile Meals app will streamline delivery operations along with strengthening communication, enhancing participant monitoring, and supporting healthcare collaboration. Existing and new partnerships with academic institutions expands the organization’s research efforts. A new organizational dashboard can assist MOWRI’s leadership track key indicators and allocate resources effectively.

Finally, the strategic report emphasizes the importance and value of advocacy and its visibility.  As competition from for-profit and tech-enabled providers grows, the organization must elevate its position on policies and clearly communicate the unique value of personal connection, wellness checks, safety monitoring, and culturally responsive services.

Overall, MOWRI says its strategic plan positions the organization for sustained growth and expanded impact by 2030.

“Our future will not be without challenges, and we are focused on ensuring that every Rhode Islander has access to the nutrition, connection, and dignity they deserve,” says Executive Director Meghan Grady.

For more information on volunteering or making a gift to support MOWRI’s statewide impact, please visit www.rimeals.org.