Latest news with #PamelaJ.Lauria
Boston Globe
4 days ago
- Health
- Boston Globe
Proposed health care cuts threaten thousands of Rhode Islanders. We must protect their coverage.
Advertisement These tax credits go to 40,000 working class Rhode Islanders who earn just a little bit too much to qualify for Medicaid, do not get health insurance through work, and do not earn nearly enough to afford good health insurance in the marketplace. When the enhanced tax credits expire, these former recipients will see their premiums jump by an average of 85 percent — but some will face even bigger rate hikes. Advertisement For example, a 45-year-old working 30 hours a week making minimum wage would see her monthly premium increase by 387 percent. A couple, both age 64, making $85,000 combined would see their monthly premium jump from $602 to $1,992 — meaning they would be paying 28 percent of their income just to enroll in coverage. When health insurance becomes this expensive, people drop it. They skip preventive care, delay treatment, and risk financial ruin from unexpected medical bills. The Congressional Budget Office predicts that That's why we've introduced the We know this won't solve every challenge in our health care system. But at a time when dysfunction in Washington threatens to undermine hard-won progress, Rhode Island has an opportunity to protect tens of thousands of our residents from dramatic increases in their health insurance costs. Advertisement These are our neighbors, our co-workers, our family members. They deserve to know that their state has their back. We urge our colleagues in the General Assembly — and Rhode Islanders across the state — to support the Individual Market Affordability Act. And we thank the Because when everyone has access to health care, we're all stronger for it. State Representative June S. Speakman represents District 68 in Warren and Bristol. Senator Pamela J. Lauria represents District 32 in Barrington, Bristol, and East Providence. They are the sponsors of the Individual Market Affordability Act.
Boston Globe
27-03-2025
- Health
- Boston Globe
To bolster primary care workforce, R.I. offers grants to train next generation of doctors
'Primary care is the backbone of the healthcare system in Rhode Island,' Dr. Jerry Larkin, the state's director of health, said in a statement. 'This program will encourage trainees in primary care to remain in Rhode Island after completing their education, and it will enhance Rhode Island's clinical training capacity.' Get Rhode Island News Alerts Sign up to get breaking news and interesting stories from Rhode Island in your inbox each weekday. Enter Email Sign Up The nation's number of primary care providers has declined in recent years, as has the number of new physicians entering primary care, according to the Milbank Memorial Fund's 2025 Advertisement In 2022, only 24.4 percent of new doctors began careers in primary care in the United States – or 19.8 percent when excluding hospitalists – the lowest rate in a decade. The decline in 2022 marked a steeper decline, year over year, compared to prior years. 'Right now, Rhode Island is on track to be short about 100 primary care providers by 2030. That's a shortage large enough to mean 1 in 5 Rhode Islanders will be unable to find a primary care provider,' state Senator, Pamela J. Lauria, a Barrington Democrat, said in a statement. 'As a state, we must recruit, train, retain, and sustain the number of primary care providers necessary to meet the health demands of all Rhode Islanders.' According to officials, the grant program will expand 'interdisciplinary clinical training at advanced primary care sites' with an aim to boost the state's training capacity by 50 percent for physician assistant students, physician residents, and nurse practitioners. Advertisement Right now, the Care Transformation Collaborative of Rhode Island is working to develop the curriculum that will be used to train students, officials said. 'The Primary Care Training Sites Program is one of many steps we are taking across our administration to bolster primary care in Rhode Island,' Governor Dan McKee said in a statement. 'Accessible, quality primary care can lower rates of chronic conditions, lessen the burden on our hospital system, and bring down Rhode Island's overall healthcare costs in line with the goals of our RI 2030 plan.' McKee is eyeing other measures to help bolster the state's primary care network through his budget proposal, including measures officials said will serve as 'a crucial step toward fostering a more competitive primary care job market in Rhode Island.' Last month, the Rhode Island Senate also Material from a previous Globe story was used in this report. Christopher Gavin can be reached at
