Our healthcare system is at a crucial point where many providers are nearing retirement age, but our hospital systems have trouble recruiting the next generation of providers in Rhode Island. One of my family members recently had to wait 3+ months to see a specialist. This will only lead to greater costs down the road because people’s conditions can get more serious and life-threatening while they wait.

We passed a number of bills in the Senate to increase access to care (by incentivizing or recruiting more providers), reduce costs for patients, and provide transparency. The following have passed the General Assembly:

2023 Legislative Highlights:

• Passed a bill to cap the cost of specialty prescription drugs at $150/month. Cost should never be a barrier to getting life-saving drugs and treatment.

2024 Legislative Highlights:

• RI will join five interstate licensing compacts so that healthcare providers can more easily practice in multiple states including RI. There are still more licensing compacts we should look into joining, such as the physician assistant compact.
• RI will pilot a scholarship  program to incentivize primary care providers to come to RI after medical school or residency. Students who receive the scholarships commit to practicing primary care in Rhode Island for at least eight years. This scholarship program was limited to 15 spots, so we need to make sure it works and expand it if it does.
• RI will invest $2.7 million to recruit 30 advanced primary care training sites, increasing training slots by 50% for nurse practitioners, physician assistant students, and physician residents
• Hospitals are now required to publish pricing information in two formats: a consumer-friendly list of 300 “shoppable services,” and a comprehensive machine-readable file for all items and services. Placing this sunshine requirement into statute will help people understand and reduce costs.
• The Healthcare Provider Shield Act will protect medical providers who provide transgender and reproductive health care services in Rhode Island from civil or criminal suits from other states

Going Forward: We need to address the low reimbursement rates. Currently, a primary care physician choosing between RI and other states would probably opt to work in other states because they would earn substantially more. One possible solution is Sen. Sosnowski’s bill, which proposes a dual mandate for OHIC (office of the health insurance commissioner), to adjust rates based on both affordability and provider availability. Other big-picture solutions include healthcare-workforce housing and a medical school at URI.