Medicare-For-All Bills to Be Heard
STATE HOUSE – The Senate Health and Human Services Committee has scheduled a virtual hearing Thursday on several bills concerning a Medicare, Medicaid and creation of a single-payer health care system.
The committee is scheduled to meet Thursday, March 4, at 4 p.m. via WebEx. The State House remains closed to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The meeting will be streamed live online through Capitol TV at http://www.rilegislature.gov/CapTV/Pages/default.aspx.
Among the bills on the committee’s agenda are:
· 2021-S 0231 — This bill sponsored by Sen. Gayle L. Goldin (D-Dist. 3, Providence) would allow pregnant women with an annual family income above the applicable Medicaid income limit to be eligible to purchase health insurance through one of the Medicaid managed care plans.
· 2021-S 0233 — Sponsored by Sen. Samuel Bell, this bill would establish a universal, comprehensive, affordable single-payer health care insurance program known as the Rhode Island Comprehensive Health Insurance Program.
· 2021-S 0230 — This bill sponsored by Sen. Cynthia M. Mendes (D-Dist. 18, East Providence, Pawtucket) would create a special legislative commission to study the implementation of a Medicare-for-all single payer program in Rhode Island.
Written testimony is encouraged and can be submitted by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Written testimony must be submitted by 2 p.m. Thursday in order for it to be provided to the members of the committee at the hearing and to be included in the meeting records. Members of the public can request to provide verbal testimony to the committee at this link: Requests to provide verbal testimony must be submitted by Wednesday at 4 p.m.
It's day 24 of the government shutdown. Democrats are calling on Republicans to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies before they expire at the end of the year. Republicans say they won't negotiate until the shutdown is ended. On Thursday, the Senate blocked three bills that would have paid federal workers during the government shutdown. 
