Raimondo to Oust DePena, Guertin Over UHIP Debacle

GoLocalProv News Team

Raimondo to Oust DePena, Guertin Over UHIP Debacle

Governor Raimondo
Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo is going to oust Melba DePena and Thom Guertin over the beleaguered rollout of UHIP, GoLocal has learned. 

Department of Human Services Director DePena was brought on by Raimondo in January of 2015; Guertin was appointed by then-Governor Lincoln Chafee as the state's first "Chief Digital Officer" back in 2012.

The Governor's office has announced a press conference for 3 P.M. on Thursday.

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Latest in UHIP Disaster

As GoLocal reported in October:

The Rhode Island House Finance and Oversight Committees grilled Raimondo Administration officials on Thursday afternoon on the botched UHIP rollout — but questions remain as to the next steps.

Health and Human Services Secretary Elizabeth Roberts, Department of Administration Director Michael DiBiase, and Department of Human Services Director Melba DePena were at the State House to answer questions pertaining to issues with delivery and costs, to individuals who have not been receiving benefits and workers who were reporting heightened levels of stress dealing with the new health infrastructure IT system — that could near half a billion dollars if the State gets its latest round of federal funding requested. 

Melba DePena
The Rhode Island Partnership for Home Care sent a letter to Finance Chair Rep. Marvin Abney and Oversight Chair Rep. Patricia Serpa, stating that Medicaid-contracted home care providers and their Medicaid-beneficiary clients had been adversely impacted by the new system’s ongoing delays and errors, causing home care providers to stop accepting new referrals for Medicaid clients — and not have integration into the state-mandated electronic verification system in order to schedule staff and submit claims for reimbursement. 

SLIDES: RI Legislators Grill Administration on Botched UHIP Rollout - October 20


RI Leaders' Questions for October 20 Hearing on "Botched" UHIP Rollout

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