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research & legislation
The Problem: Our expensive, inefficient health insurance system
• Between 1991 and 2014, health care spending in RI per person rose by over 250% – rising much faster than income – greatly reducing disposable income.
• 62% of personal bankruptcies were medical cost related and of these, 78% had health insurance at the time of their bankruptcy.
• Health care is “rationed” under our current multi-payer system, despite the fact that Rhode Islanders already pay enough money to have comprehensive and universal health insurance under a single-payer system.
• The federal Affordable Care Act (ACA) cannot control rising premiums, co-pays, deductibles and medical costs, nor prevent private insurance companies from continuing to limit available providers and coverage.
• Fully implemented, the ACA will still leave 4% of Rhode Islanders without insurance – resulting in as many as 116 Rhode Islanders dying unnecessarily from lack of insurance each year.
The Solution: RI Single Payer
• Provides comprehensive health care coverage to all Rhode Island residents.
• Improves access to health care.
• Saves approximately $4000 per resident per year by 2024 and puts more money into the Rhode Island economy.
• Significantly reduces administrative costs (almost $1 billion in the first year) and shifts these dollars to actual provision of health care.
• Decreases provider administrative burdens and allows them to spend more time providing health care.
• Establishes a funding system that is public and progressive.
• Eliminates health insurance costs and administrative obligations on Rhode Island businesses and make them more competitive and profitable (e.g., in the first year, payroll contributions to a single payer plan would be over $1.2 billion less than current private health insurance premiums).
• Contains health care costs (reduced administration and control over monopolistic pricing) and saves 23% of current expenditures in the first year with larger savings in subsequent years.
• Creates a significant economic stimulus for the state by attracting businesses to and keeping businesses in Rhode Island because of reduced health insurance costs.
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For a wealth of information about national single payer see: Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) www,pnhp.org.
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For an overview, watch the 2017 Brown Univ. Lecture: Intro to Single Payer
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For specific federal legislation research see: House bill HR 1384 or Senate bill S. 1129
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Click here to read a RI-focused economic analysis
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2019 Resolution urging RI Federal delegation to support national single payer H 5368