RIte Care members, two-thirds of whom are children under age 18 Christine C. Ferguson, Director of the Rhode Island Department of Human Services, reports that RIte Care, the state's managed health care program, has reached its highest membership level in the three year history of the program. Currently, over 75,000 Rhode Islanders are enrolled in the program, two-thirds of whom are children under the age of 18, who may not have otherwise had access to quality health care. RIte Care provides comprehensive health coverage to families and uninsured pregnant women and children across Rhode Island.
Qualified members enroll in their choice of four participating health plans.
Ferguson attributes the recent growth in the program to the enrollment of 2246 previously uninsured children who qualify under the new eligibility expansion that became effective May 1, 1997. Prior to the expansion, only eligible children up to the age of eight qualified. The purpose of the expansion was to target all uninsured children to ensure that they have access to quality, comprehensive health care. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that every child in this state has health insurance. In addition to the eligibility expansion, the Department's extensive outreach campaign can be credited for the jump in enrollment.