Creates a publicly funded program for uninsured individuals requiring on an appropriation of $53,200,000 for fiscal year 2027 and an appropriation of 109,600,000 for fiscal year 2028 and every fiscal year thereafter.

Rhode Island Protect Our Healthcare Act of 2026

This bill would create a new, publicly funded healthcare program in Rhode Island specifically for residents who do not have health insurance. The state government would pay for the program using taxpayer dollars, with $53.2 million budgeted for the first year (fiscal year 2027) and $109.6 million per year starting in fiscal year 2028 and continuing every year after that. The doubling of funding in the second year suggests the program is expected to grow as more uninsured residents enroll.

The bill would most directly affect Rhode Island residents who currently have no health insurance coverage — meaning they are not covered through an employer, Medicaid, Medicare, or a private plan. These individuals would gain access to healthcare services through this new program. It would also affect Rhode Island taxpayers broadly, since the program would be funded through state appropriations, meaning public money would be used to cover the costs.

At this stage, the bill has just been introduced and sent to the House Corporations Committee for review. This is an early step in the legislative process, and many details about how the program would actually work — such as what services would be covered, who qualifies, and how providers would be paid — may be defined further as the bill moves through the legislature. No final decisions have been made yet on whether it will become law.