General Assembly passes bill limiting insulin copays
The General Assembly approved legislation (2021-S 0170B, 2021-H 5196A) sponsored by Sen. Melissa A. Murray (D-Dist. 24, Woonsocket, North Smithfield) and House Speaker Pro Tempore Brian Patrick Kennedy (D-Dist. 38, Hopkinton, Westerly) to limit insured patients’ copays for insulin used to treat diabetes to $40 for a 30-day supply. The bill now goes to the governor’s desk.
Assembly OKs expanded access to telemedicine coverage
The General Assembly approved legislation (2021-S 0004Baa), 2021-H 6032Aaa) sponsored by Senate Health and Human Services Committee Chairman Joshua Miller (D-Dist. 28, Cranston, Providence) and House Health and Human Services Committee Chairman Stephen M. Casey (D-Dist. 50, Woonsocket) to expand telemedicine coverage requirements for insurers and require that all Rhode Island Medicaid programs cover telemedicine visits visits with health care providers via telephone or audio-video enabled device.
$13 on January 1, 2023;
$14 on January 1, 2024 and
$15 on January 1, 2025.
In contrast, Bank of America announced this week that it has set its own minimum wage of $25 per hour for employees effective immediately. And, President Joe Biden announced that the minimum wage for all federal contractors is $15.
“At last, Rhode Island is on the path toward breaking the cycle of poverty for those at the bottom of the wage spectrum. Minimum wage has not kept pace with inflation over the decades, and our neighboring states have already taken this step toward making it closer to a living wage,” said Rep. David A. Bennett (D-Dist. 20, Warwick, Cranston), House bill sponsor.