Says
it will make poor forego needed treatment and preventative care
Craig R. O’Connor, Planned
Parenthood Votes! Rhode Island
Gov. Gina Raimondo proposed, in her annual state budget,
to make people covered by Medicaid pay more for their health care. This would
impact all adults except those who are enrolled due to a disability or pregnancy.
More than 70% of adult Medicaid members live below the poverty level.
Research shows that co-payments discourage low-income
people’s use of necessary health care. The proposed cuts could add up to $10
million in out-of-pocket health care costs for low-income adults.
It is now up to the General Assembly to reject these
proposals.
Take Action Today!
Click here to send a message to Gov. Raimondo, Senate Finance Chair
William Conley, House Finance Chair Marvin Abney, and your own State Senator
and State Representative.
Let them know you care about health care, especially for
our lowest income adults, seniors, and people with disabilities. Ask them to
oppose these cuts to the state Medicaid program and ask them to be a champion
in supporting low-income Rhode Island families.
- $4 co-pay for brand name medications
- $2.50 co-pay for generic medications
- $3 for hospital stay
- $3 for non-preventive care doctor’s visits
- $8 for non-emergency use of emergency rooms
While these co-pays may seem small, for low-income people
who become sick, or for those who have a chronic condition like asthma or diabetes
that require monthly prescriptions, costs can add up quickly, causing serious
financial difficulty and forcing people to choose between their health and
other basic needs.
Learn more and stay up-to-date: Visit the Protect Our
Healthcare Coalition page to sign up for action alerts and to
learn more about Medicaid, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act.