EQUITY IN HEALTHCARE to protect the health of all Rhode Islanders
- Codify Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance consumer protections in state law
The omnibus bill H7500 (Cassar) includes all the protections called for in the following three bills:
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- Prohibits discrimination based on pre-existing conditions; prohibits patient cost-sharing for primary and preventive healthcare services; requires insurers to provide coverage for 10 types of essential benefits identified in the ACA. House 7560 (Speakman) / Senate 2080 (Miller)
- Prohibit insurers from capping annual or lifetime coverage for essential benefits. House 7183 (Kislak) / Senate (Goodwin)
- Require insurers to provide coverage for contraceptive care. House 7631 (Kazarian) / Senate 2327 (Euer)
*Protect Our Healthcare Coalition
- Extend Medicaid coverage from 60 days to 12-months postpartum for all women who are enrolled in Medicaid when they give birth
Provide Medicaid coverage for women (regardless of immigration status) who give birth while enrolled in Medicaid through the end of the 12th month postpartum House 7290 (Williams) / Senate 2202 (Goodwin)
* RIght from the Start Coalition
- Provide RIte Care health insurance for children regardless of immigration status
Provide RIte Care health insurance coverage for income-eligible children regardless of immigration status, including those who are undocumented. House 7445 (Morales) / Senate 2196 (Cano)
*RIght from the Start Coalition
- Create equity in abortion coverage
The Equality in Abortion Act requires coverage of abortions under the state’s Medicaid program and in state employee insurance plans. House 7442 (Cassar) / Senate 2549 (Valverde)
*Rhode Island Coalition for Reproductive Freedom, The Womxn Project
- Increase Medicare Savings Program income limits
Eliminate the asset test and increase the income eligibility limits for the Medicare Savings Programs (MSP) that cover the cost of the monthly Part B premium – saving seniors and people with disabilities over $2,000/year. For the lowest-income individuals, MSP also covers co-pays and deductibles. The bill would increase the monthly income limit for the lowest-income populations from $1,153 to $2,115. House 7445 (Alzate) / Senate 2196 (Cano)
- Maintain and expand investments in Home & Community Based Services (HCBS), including increased wages for healthcare workers
Expand HCBS options for consumers by increasing wages for direct care workers. Remove the FY2023 budget proposal which seeks an exemption from the requirement of Medicaid’s Perry-Sullivan provision to use nursing home savings for HCBS and thereby reduces HCBS funding by close to $40 million for FY2023. Senate Resolution S2648 (DiPalma) / House Resolution (Slater)