2023 -- S 0288
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LC000800
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S TATE OF RHODE IS LAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
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S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N
RESPECTFULLY REQUESTING THAT THE UNITED STATES SENATE STOP
PRIVATIZATION OF MEDICARE
Introduced By: Senators Ujifusa, DiPalma, Lauria, Bell, Miller, Acosta, Zurier,
Valverde, Murray, and DiMario
Date Introduced: February 16, 2023
Referred To: Senate Health & Human Services
WHEREAS, In 1965, Congress enacted Medicare because it recognized that most seniors 1
could not get affordable healthcare insurance from private insurers; and 2
WHEREAS, Since its inception, Medicare has had gaps in coverage, such as vision, 3
dental and prescription drugs, and “co-insurance” costs, such as premiums, co-pays and 4
deductibles; and 5
WHEREAS, Instead of fully funding a comprehensive Medicare program, Congress 6
chose to invite private insurance companies to "manage care"; and 7
WHEREAS, Managed care programs, through aggressively marketing plans with lower 8
up-front costs, have sold millions of seniors plans that also shrink their provider networks and 9
establish “gate keeper” and “prior authorization” requirements to limit their care; and 10
WHEREAS, Managed care plan providers have not been shown to significantly save tax 11
dollars and many have been accused of fraud, in court, and of overcharging billions of dollars; 12
and 13
WHEREAS, In 2018, the Trump administration introduced another program to continue 14
to allow private insurance companies to profit from and limit traditional Medicare: Direct 15
Contracting Entities (DCEs); and 16
WHEREAS, DCEs, renamed “Accountable Care Organizations Realizing Equity Access 17
in Community Health” (ACO REACH), can potentially retain twenty-five percent (25%) or more 18
of taxpayer dollars as profit and overhead, and by contrast, traditional Medicare spends ninety-19
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eight percent (98%) of its budget on patient care; and 1
WHEREAS, The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center is 2
empowered to implement ACO REACH without Congressional approval and plans to move all 3
Medicare patients to a program, like ACO REACH, by 2030; and 4
WHEREAS, Every person who relies on Medicare should have the right to choose 5
traditional Medicare, rather than be forced without their knowledge or consent into a restrictive 6
managed care plan; and 7
WHEREAS, Secretary of Health Becerra has the power to end the ACO REACH 8
program today, and Congress has the power to pressure him to do so; now therefore be it 9
RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island hereby recognizes the need 10
for the United States government to protect and expand traditional Medicare and hereby 11
respectfully urges Senator Reed, Senator Whitehouse, Congressman Cicilline, and Congressman 12
Magaziner to take all necessary action to stop immediately the ACO REACH program and 13
oppose Medicare privatization; and be it further 14
RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to 15
transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the Clerk of the United States House of 16
Representatives, the Clerk of the United States Senate, and to members of the Rhode Island 17
Delegation to the United States Congress. 18
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