Why it matters

Health insurance must be affordable, comprehensive, and accessible

Rhode Islanders understand how profoundly broken the current healthcare system is and want one that works for all. Health insurance must be affordable and comprehensive so people can access services and care. The Affordable Care Act has helped many Rhode Islanders get health coverage by expanding Medicaid and establishing subsidized commercial coverage through HealthSourceRI. Medicare covers seniors and people with disabilities. Yet these programs are at risk in Washington, and even with them, too many people still struggle to get the care they need because providers are not available or out-of-pocket costs are too high.  In 2025, under the banner of our Campaign for Healthcare Access and Affordability, we will advocate for the following state legislative priorities. 

Strengthen Health Insurance AFFORDABILITY and CONSUMER PROTECTIONS:

  • The Individual Marketplace Affordability Act (Speakman H5996/Lauria S707) will protect affordability in the state’s HealthSourceRI (HSRI) individual marketplace.  Approximately 46,000 individuals are currently enrolled in health insurance through HSRI, and more than 1 in 7 Rhode Islanders has had HSRI coverage at some point.  More than 90% of enrollees get the help of Advanced Premium Tax Credits (APTCs) that make their premiums more affordable.  Enhanced APTCs are due to expire at the end of 2025 and, barring state action, 88% of households enrolled will face increased premium payments, with an average monthly premium increase of 85%. As HSRI reports, “Lower income households will experience the largest percentage impact when 2025 premiums increase . . . heading into 2026.”
  • Strengthen medical debt protections by prohibiting property liens and wage garnishments (Shallcross Smith H5184/Bissaillon S169) and by capping interest on medical debt (Shallcross Smith H5235/Burke S172).
  • Enact health insurance prior authorization reforms to reduce barriers to primary care-ordered services and treatments (Potter H5120 /Ujifusa S53 and Murray S168) and to regulate the use of artificial intelligence in making prior authorization determinations (Donovan H5172/Ujifusa S13).
  • Expand access to no-cost-share contraception to include the full range of contraception and to guarantee coverage of any new over-the-counter methods (Alzate 6047/Euer S268).

Invest in MEDICAID and MEDICARE to improve access, equity, and affordability:

  • Expand the Medicare Savings Programs by raising income eligibility & eliminating the asset test to improve access and affordability for Rhode Island seniors and people with disabilities. (Alzate H5529/DiPalma S693)
  • Enact continuous coverage in Medicaid for children birth through age 3 to eliminate disruptions in access to care for our youngest Rhode Islanders. (Slater H5205/Lauria S254)

Improve ACCESS and QUALITY in our state’s healthcare delivery system:

  • Address access to behavioral healthcare by strengthening mental health parity rules (Ujifusa S193/Tanzi H6061) and by addressing low reimbursement rates in commercial coverage (Tanzi H5863/Lauria S463).
  • Sustain funding for the PediPRN and MomsPRN resource network to ensure quality access to behavioral health support for children and new moms. (Shallcross Smith H5461/DiMario S220)
  • Expand the RI Medical Primary Care Scholarship Program (Fogarty H5984/Lauria S670) and fund other healthcare workforce programs to help stabilize and build our state’s primary and behavioral health practitioner network.
  • Enact the Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board (Slater H5257/Valverde S118), the Rewarding Quality in Nursing Home Care Act (Potter H5144/Thompson), and require financial transparency from for-profit nursing homes (Speakman H5426/Euer704)to establish fair wages for workers and to ensure state and federal Medicaid dollars are appropriately directed to improve patient care.

Reduce HEALTH DISPARITIES and improve HEALTH EQUITY so all Rhode Islanders can live full and healthy lives:

  • Expand access to safe, affordable housing & address the homeless crisis, including strengtheningtenant’s rights by defining just cause evictions (Mack S212/Cruz H5503), and capping annual rent increases (Potter H5264).
  • Implement Healthy School Meals for All (Caldwell H5742/Vargas S430) so all students can learn and thrive and maintain funding for the RI Community Food Bank, enabling them to continue to provide food assistance monthly to 85,000 Rhode Islanders.
  • Enact the Revenue for Rhode Islanders proposal to increase state revenue with a new 3% millionaires’ tax. (Alzate H5473/Murray S329)
  • Improve the state’s Paid Family Leave Act (Giraldo H6066 / S).
  • Invest in affordable public transit to support Rhode Islanders' economic well-being and reduce toxic greenhouse gases' health and climate impacts.
  • Require an annual equity impact review (Mack S805) of the Rhode Island state budget for potential disparities in regard to race, gender, and disability.
  • Support the important work of Rhode Island’s network of health equity zones by enacting the Rhode Island Equity Zone Act (Tanzi 5849/Murray S697) to formalize the network of Health Equity Zones under EOHHS.