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家 » New Bill Will Safeguard Rhode Island’s Health Care System and Protect Access to Essential Care

2 月 9, 2024

New Bill Will Safeguard Rhode Island’s Health Care System and Protect Access to Essential Care

Health Care Provider Shield Act limits the risk hostile out-of-state laws pose to health care providers and patients in the Ocean State; 11 other states + D.C. have enacted similar laws

Today, Rhode Island legislators introduced the “Health Care Provider Shield Act,” (SB2262/HB7577) to protect Rhode Island’s health care system, doctors and other medical care providers, and patients from hostile out-of-state laws that could negatively impact delivery of care in the Ocean State.

《医疗保健提供者保护法案》由参议员 Dawn Euer 和众议员 John G. Edwards 发起，该法案将确保罗德岛的医疗保健提供者不会受到其他州禁止获得既定、标准护理的生殖和变性医疗保健的法律的惩罚，并确保患者能够继续在罗德岛接受优质、合法、必要的医疗服务。

“The Health Care Provider Shield Act is about protecting established, best-practice medical care that is legal in Rhode Island and ensuring that our local providers and our health care infrastructure aren’t negatively impacted by hostile laws in other states,” 参议院司法委员会主席欧尔表示“美国多个州的政客们正在采取令人震惊的政府越权行为，禁止人们获得基本医疗服务，并对那些按照专业医疗标准行医的医疗服务提供者处以民事和刑事处罚。这项法案将确保这些州外法律不会被用来对付罗德岛州的医疗服务提供者。”

“关于基本医疗保健的决定应该由患者、他们的家人以及他们信赖的护理提供者做出，而不是政客。至关重要的是，罗德岛州必须采取措施，保障所有需要的人以及提供这些服务的提供者获得合法、标准的医疗保健服务。” 爱德华兹代表说. “The Health Care Provider Shield Act will ensure that Rhode Island providers can continue to deliver high quality, medically necessary care to their patients.”

As multiple states have passed bans on abortion and transgender health care in recent years, authorities in some states, such as Texas, have also sought to intimidate or otherwise punish physicians or facilities in other states who provide such essential care to their residents. Eleven other states – including Massachusetts and Connecticut – and the District of Columbia have already passed health care shield laws to protect providers and patients and ensure their states remain desirable places to practice medicine.

“Family doctors, OBGYNs, and other practitioners want to be able to deliver high quality, essential care for our patients. Here in Rhode Island, we are able to provide the care that Rhode Islanders need, including full-spectrum reproductive services and gender-affirming health care. This bill will protect our providers against actions from other states and allow us to continue to deliver the standard of care and excellence that our patients deserve.” 罗德岛医学会主席兼妇产科医生 Heather A Smith 博士说“我们需要《医疗保健提供者保护法案》来确保罗德岛仍然是临床医生愿意行医的州，并且医生可以在患者需要时继续为他们提供优质、富有同情心和必要的护理。”

The bill is supported by state health care associations and providers including the Rhode Island Medical Society, Rhode Island Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Rhode Island Health Center Association, Open Door Health, Thundermist Health Center, Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, Inc., RI National Association of Social Workers, and the Rhode Island Public Health Institute.

《医疗保健提供者保护法案》将：

保护罗德岛医疗保健提供者免受其他州的滥用民事或刑事诉讼
保护罗德岛居民的受保护医疗保健信息不被分享给其他禁止此类医疗保健的州的执法机构
确保罗德岛州的医疗服务提供者不会因提供符合专业护理标准的受法律保护的医疗保健而受到医疗机构或保险公司的不公平惩罚
保护医疗保健提供者免受可能对其提供受法律保护的医疗服务的能力产生负面影响的监视
保护所有在罗德岛州提供受法律保护的跨性别和生殖保健服务的提供者，使其符合专业护理标准，包括通过远程医疗提供的护理
确保罗德岛的资源不被用于禁止基本医疗保健的州的进一步敌对诉讼

“The Health Care Provider Shield Act provides critically needed safeguards for Rhode Island’s health care system,” GLBTQ 法律倡导者和捍卫者律师 Polly Crozier 说道. “Rhode Island has a strong public policy commitment to protecting access to health care, including reproductive and transgender health care. The bill protects Rhode Island providers and patients from unwarranted out-of-state intrusion into medical decision making and ensures clinicians can continue to practice in line with the professional standards of care.”

“Penalizing providers for delivering effective, best-practice medical care hurts patients and providers, and takes away people’s ability to make informed decisions about their own and their children and families’ health,” said Jeanne LaChance, President/CEO, Thundermist Health Center. “Rhode Island has a long history of supporting transgender people’s freedom to live without discrimination, including in access to health care. We appreciate Sen. Euer and, Rep. Edwards’ introduction of the Health Care Provider Shield Act to make it clear that access to essential medical care for transgender people as well as reproductive health care are legal rights in Rhode Island, and to protect Rhode Island’s health care system, providers, and those seeking essential medical care.”

“As more states across the country move to ban abortion and transgender health care, there is no doubt that patients and health care professionals are subject to increased health and legal risks when getting and providing health care. The introduction of the Health Care Provider Shield Act makes it clear that our state leaders are prioritizing patient access to legal, standard-of-care transgender and reproductive medical care and protecting those who provide this essential health care,” said Vimala Phongsavanh, Senior Director, External Affairs for Planned Parenthood of Southern New England. “We look forward to working with Senator Euer and Representative Edwards to pass this critical legislation to protect essential health care for all Rhode Islanders.”

The Health Care Provider Shield Act is supported by a coalition of organizations:

Provider Groups: