Rhode Island is not supposed to be a healthcare affordability horror story.
Gallup’s most recent state healthcare rankings put Rhode Island near the top nationally for how easily residents can access care when they need it. The state has a functioning ACA exchange — HealthSource RI — and has historically outperformed most states on coverage metrics.
And yet. A new poll from the University of Rhode Island, released today, found that 72 percent of Rhode Islanders are worried about the high cost of healthcare in the state. Twenty-nine percent — nearly one in three — did not seek doctor-recommended medical care because they could not afford it.
When nearly a third of people in one of the country’s better-performing healthcare states skip care their doctor told them they needed, the problem is not access. It is money.
What Changed — and When
The URI Rhode Island Survey Initiative has been running this poll annually for four years. The 2026 data reflects a specific inflection point: the expiration of enhanced ACA premium tax credits at the end of 2025…