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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.

《醫療保健提供者保護法案》由參議員 Dawn Euer 和眾議員 John G. Edwards 發起，該法案將確保羅德島的醫療保健提供者不會受到其他州禁止獲得既定、標準護理的生殖和變性醫療保健的法律的懲罰，並確保患者能夠繼續在羅德島接受優質、合法、必要的醫療服務。

“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,” 參議院司法委員會主席歐爾表示“美國多個州的政客們正在採取令人震驚的政府越權行為，禁止人們獲得基本醫療服務，並對那些按照專業醫療標準行醫的醫療服務提供者處以民事和刑事處罰。這項法案將確保這些州外法律不會被用來對付羅德島州的醫療服務提供者。”

「關於基本醫療保健的決定應該由患者、他們的家人以及他們信賴的護理提供者做出，而不是政客。至關重要的是，羅德島州必須採取措施，保障所有需要的人以及提供這些服務的提供者獲得合法、標準的醫療保健服務。” 愛德華茲代表說. “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.” 羅德島醫學會主席兼婦產科醫師 Heather A Smith 博士說“我們需要《醫療保健提供者保護法案》來確保羅德島仍然是臨床醫生願意行醫的州，並且醫生可以在患者需要時繼續為他們提供優質、富有同情心和必要的護理。”

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.

《醫療保健提供者保護法案》將：

保護羅德島醫療保健提供者免受其他州的濫用民事或刑事訴訟
保護羅德島居民的受保護醫療保健資訊不被分享給其他禁止此類醫療保健的州的執法機構
確保羅德島州的醫療服務提供者不會因提供符合專業護理標準的受法律保護的醫療保健而受到醫療機構或保險公司的不公平懲罰
保護醫療保健提供者免受可能對其提供受法律保護的醫療服務的能力產生負面影響的監視
保護所有在羅德島州提供受法律保護的跨性別和生殖保健服務的提供者，使其符合專業護理標準，包括透過遠距醫療提供的護理
確保羅德島的資源不被用於禁止基本醫療保健的州的進一步敵對訴訟

“The Health Care Provider Shield Act provides critically needed safeguards for Rhode Island’s health care system,” GLBTQ 法律倡導者和捍衛者律師 Polly Crozier 說道. “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: