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State of Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee

Governor McKee Ceremonially Signs Package of Health Care Bills

Published on Friday, September 12, 2025

WOONSOCKET, RI – At Thundermist Health Center in Woonsocket, Governor McKee was joined by Senate President Valarie Lawson and numerous other legislators today to hold a ceremonial signing of new health care bills from the 2025 legislative session.

“Today’s bill signing is about keeping Rhode Islanders healthy—and that means doing everything we can to make health care accessible and affordable,” said Governor McKee.

The Governor also warned about the impact of the growing costs of health insurance on Rhode Islanders, saying, “We can’t keep making it harder for Rhode Islanders to pay their bills. My staff and the Office of the Health Commissioner are working to identify new ways to provide relief to Rhode Islanders."

Speakers at the event included the Senate President, Representative Brandon Potter, Senator Melissa Murray, and Representative Michelle McGaw, as well as Thundermist CEO Chuck Jones. Thundermist Health Center was chosen as the site for the event because it was one of 85 recent recipients of a total of $6.7 million in primary grants created by Governor McKee to recruit physicians and expand patient capacity.

“Health care needs to be available and affordable for every Rhode Islander, always. But right now, for too many individuals and families, that’s simply not the reality,” said Senate President Valarie J. Lawson (D-Dist. 14, East Providence). “Our constituents need us to act, and I know my Senate colleagues are fully committed to finding solutions that make a real difference. We will continue to explore every avenue and all available tools to ease this health care crisis. I am grateful that with the legislation being celebrated today, we are taking important steps forward.”

“Rhode Islanders are struggling to find primary care doctors, and those fortunate enough to have one are facing longer waits for appointments,” said Representative Brandon Potter (D-Dist. 16, Cranston). “The situation is only made worse when doctors have to spend their time battling insurance companies instead of treating patients. The legislation creating a pilot program reducing prior authorization requirements is a step to ease that burden, expand access to basic health care, and ensure medical decisions are made by doctors based on what’s best for patients.”

“The bills being celebrated today represent key parts of the Senate’s action on health care, but addressing this critical policy area cannot be done through a single piece of legislation, or by one collection of bills,” said Senator Melissa Murray (D-Dist. 24, Woonsocket, North Smithfield). “We will continue to rely on the energy, expertise, and leadership of every member of our chamber, as well as our many partners, as we work collaboratively to take on our health care challenges. As Chair of the Senate Health & Human Services Committee, I want to express my deep appreciation for everyone who is working so hard to address Rhode Island’s health care crisis.”

“The legislation we enacted this session helps patients and providers in an environment where we simply do not have enough doctors, particularly primary care providers,” said Representative Michelle McGaw (D-Dist. 71, Portsmouth, Tiverton, Little Compton). “Often a patient needs an appointment, and it might be weeks or even months before one is available. And in cases where a provider retires or stops practicing in Rhode Island, it can be extremely difficult for patients to find a new one. This provides an avenue for pharmacists — who are extensively trained, licensed, and understand the benefits and risks of pharmaceuticals — to make a professional determination when the prescriber can’t be reached or is no longer practicing.”

The six bills highlighted at the event include:

Prohibiting prior authorization requirements in primary care:

Addressing a backlog in licensing approvals by enabling RIDOH to approve:

Expanding the vaccinations pharmacists can give:

Capping the medical debt interest rate:

Prohibiting property liens due to medical debt:

Addressing gaps in supplemental Medicare coverage:

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