Neighborhood Timeline (with national healthcare policy and popular culture references for context)

Year Events

1994

• Neighborhood receives HMO license and begins enrolling members
• Waterfire lit for first time on New Year’s Eve
• Washington is embroiled in health care reform, with then First Lady, Hillary Clinton, leading the efforts to transform health care in America.

1995 

• Neighborhood membership reaches 20,000
• Braveheart wins Academy Award for Best Picture

1996 

• RIte Care program adds children up to age 8
• Welfare Reform Act replaces AFDC program with TANF program
• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act passed in Congress

1997 

• RIte Care program adds children up to age 18
• New England Patriots ‘court’ RI for possible new stadium
• Balanced Budget Act of 1997 passed – includes the creation of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)

1998

• Neighborhood membership nears 25,000
• Rite Care program adds parents of eligible children
• Steven Spielberg wins Academy Award for Best Director for Saving Private Ryan

1999 

• Neighborhood becomes only plan open for enrollment for RIte Care – membership reaches 36,000
• Providence Place Mall opens its doors
• Providence first airs on NBC
• Ticket to Work Act passed in Congress allowing people with disabilities to work and retain health care benefits

2000 

• Neighborhood begins enrolling children in foster care
• Health Reform RI legislation passes
• Neighborhood converts to non-profit status

2001

• Neighborhood receives NCQA “Excellent” Accreditation
• The United States Mint releases the Rhode Island quarter
• Denzel Washington wins Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Training Day

2002

• Neighborhood membership reaches 67,800
• New England Patriots win Super Bowl XXXVI
• Neighborhood awarded $1million RWJF grant to reduce health disparities and language barriers

2003

• Neighborhood enrolls children with special needs
• Medicare Modernization Act is passed by Congress
• Finding Nemo wins Academy Award for Best Animated Picture

2004

• Neighborhood named one of the Top Ten Medicaid health plans in the country
• All of RIte Care’s publications, research and reports can be found at www.ritecareresearch.org
• Curse is Reversed – Boston Red Sox win the World Series

2005

• In November 2005, Neighborhood and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island announce an unprecedented partnership to deliver Optima, a Medicare Advantage health plan for “dual eligible” adults
• The Gates Foundation commits $258 million to fight malaria, a preventable disease which infects 300 - 500 million people a year and kills around 1 million.
• Carrie Underwood wins American Idol talent show contest

2006

• Neighborhood named #1 Medicaid health plan in US
• Massachusetts passes universal health coverage plan, spurring debate on universal coverage in other states
• YouTube website named Time Magazine's "Invention of the Year" for allowing people to post their own videos and watch and rate and comment on and search for and tag other people's videos