Rhode Island

Written by J. Mark Ryan, MD, FACP

State-based SP organizations

RI Healthcare Access and Affordability Partnership (RIHAAP), https://www.rihealthcare.org/

National Organizations with strong SP campaign in the state:

PNHP https://pnhp.org/chapter/rhode-island/

State-based SP bills

SP–H. 5611/ S. 290 (2019) http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText19/HouseText19/H5611.pdf

Summary: This act would establish a universal, comprehensive, affordable single-payer health care insurance program and help control health care costs, which shall be referred to as, “the Rhode Island Comprehensive Health Insurance Program” (RICHIP). The program will be paid for by consolidating government and private payments to multiple insurance carriers into a more economical and efficient improved Medicare-for-all style single payer program and substituting lower progressive taxes for higher health insurance premiums, co-pays, deductibles and costs due to caps.

This program will save Rhode Islanders from the current overly expensive, inefficient and unsustainable multi-payer health insurance system that unnecessarily prevents access to medically necessary healthcare.

Sponsors: H 5611 – Representatives Walsh, Lombardi, Ajello, Cassar, and Caldwell, (18 of 75 in all) S. 290 -Senators Bell, Nesselbush, Quezada, Miller, and Seveney (16/38 in all).

Obstacles to SP in the current context

CVS (soon to be CVS-Aetna) is a major RI-based employer so there is massive corporate opposition. Also, a lot of people work in RI and live in MA, or live part-time in RI, so cross-border issues are complicated.

Advantages for SP in current context

Sanders won the 2016 primary with about 57% of the vote.

Goals for SP movement in CA 2019-2020

Ramping up efforts to talk with different community groups to build our coalition;
Reviving the Brown University Medical School Students for a National Health Plan (SNaHP) group;
Focusing more on federal single payer this year given the attention generated by the presidential 2020 election

Shorter-term initiatives

Trying to convince Sen. Jack Reed (federal) to become a co-sponsor of federal single payer legislation; (since 2016, 3 out of 4 of our RI federal delegation (2 senators and 2 reps) have become co-sponsors.
Beginning work on Spanish language material and a video.

Where can people find news about Single Payer in your state and/or join a group?

https://www.facebook.com/rihealthcare and www.rihealthcare.org, or

email pnhp.ri@gmail.com or call: 401-472-4721