In 2009, the State of Rhode Island became the first state in the nation to receive block grant funding for Medicaid. Since then, they have saved money without reducing eligibility. In face, this is one reason why they had a large budget surplus in FY 2010.
Rhode Island is successfully showing that more money is not the solution; comprehensive reform and freedom from onerous federal mandates work. Their Global Medicaid Waiver is seen as a model for state Medicaid reform and could be replicated by each state. Read more in the Galen Institute's 11-page summary.
