Rhode Island’s doctors are committed to delivering the highest quality of care to all people in the state. Indeed, we have made great progress in improving healthcare access and delivery over the past decade. But extreme laws passed by politicians in other states now threaten our ability to build on our progress, putting our system of care − and patients who rely on it − at risk.
Imagine experiencing a known, treatable medical condition and being prevented from receiving care that your physician prescribed − care that has been shown to work, is covered by health insurance, and is the widely-accepted standard of care.
Imagine being that physician, with access to that treatment, the expertise to provide it, yet being powerless to help. It’s a health scare that no patient or clinician should endure.
That’s the reality for too many patients and clinicians now that more than 20 states have banned essential medical care for transgender people and some or all abortion care. These bans exert extraordinary control over people’s lives and impose civil and criminal penalties on providers for practicing medicine according to professional standards of care.