Woonsocket Radio News Room

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.

 

Six jurors have been chosen for the Donald Trump New York City trial. The process is at the half-way mark and the jury selection process will continue until a panel of 12 New Yorkers and six alternates have been selected. The former President is accused of falsifying business records in order to cover up payments made to an adult film star just prior to the 2016 election.        The House has delivered its articles of impeachment against the Homeland Security secretary to the Senate. In February, Alejandro Mayorkas became the first Cabinet official to be impeached over his handling of the U.S.-Mexico border. All 100 senators will be sworn in Wednesday for a trial that isn't expected to last long. Democrats are expected to vote to either table or dismiss the matter.        The U.S. is preparing new sanctions on Iran after they launched a weekend drone and missile attack on Israel. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen announced the move today at the International Monetary Fund and World Bank's spring meetings. Yellen said her agency will work with U.S. allies to continue to disrupt Tehran's "malign and destabilizing activities."        Google is facing protests from some of its workers over its contract to provide cloud services to Israel. A group of employees began a sit-in in the workspace of Google Cloud's CEO at the company's San Francisco-area offices Tuesday morning. They said they would not leave until Google met its demands to pull out of the contract.        O.J. Simpson's executor is softening his comments about whether the Goldman family will receive any money from Simpson's estate. Simpson was acquitted of the murder of his wife, Nicole Brown-Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman, but was later found liable for 33-and-a-half million dollars in a civil judgment. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, attorney Malcolm LaVergne [[ lah VERN ]] said, "Fred Goldman's claim will be accepted and handled in accordance with Nevada law."        The NBA Play-In Tournament is set to begin tonight. In the Western Conference, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers will visit Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans in a matchup to decide the seventh seed. Elsewhere, Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors look to keep their season alive against De'Aaron Fox and the Sacramento Kings. The winner of the game will advance to play for the eighth seed on Friday.        

Old News Archives