By Elizabeth Roberts on
1/28/2010 10:48 AM
Earlier this week, the RI Attorney General and Blue Cross Blue Shield reached an agreement for approval of a 9.5 percent rate increase for individual, or direct-pay, health insurance plans—the original proposed rate increase was 10.2 percent.
I don’t think the 0.7 percent reduction is a good agreement for the people of Rhode Island, and in written testimony on the proposed rate increase, I requested that the application for the increase be rejected entirely....
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By Elizabeth Roberts on
1/20/2010 4:33 PM
Yesterday I voiced my vigorous opposition to another request for a
double-digit insurance rate hike by Blue Cross—this time for direct-pay
plans, or those bought by individuals directly from an insurance
company. A 10.2 percent rate hike would affect those who can afford it
least—those who don’t get insurance through their work and the
unemployed—and again underscores the pressing need to find meaningful
ways to curb health-care costs.
Early last summer, a broad...
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By Elizabeth Roberts on
1/15/2010 12:41 PM
How often do you get something vitally important for free?
Rhode Island adults can obtain the H1N1 flu vaccine free of charge at a series of public clinics around the state, beginning tomorrow (Saturday) at 10 a.m. at Mt. Pleasant High School in Providence. The only requirement: that you must be 18 or over. You don’t have to live in the community where the clinic is held, and no insurance or ID is needed.
The clinics come at a key time. Though the...
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By Elizabeth Roberts on
1/13/2010 1:21 PM
This week I’m expanding my Buy Local RI message to include the state government: I’m introducing legislation today that would make Rhode Island companies first among equals when bidding for Rhode Island state contracts and prevent out-of-state companies from receiving unfair competitive advantages.
At the Rhode Island Economic Summit last week, a man who owns a small business told the audience about his frustration...
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By Elizabeth Roberts on
1/6/2010 12:28 PM
As 2010 gets under way, Rhode Islanders know that we all must commit to making it a year of rebuilding our economically troubled state, with the creation of jobs our highest priority.
Yesterday we took an important step forward with the appointment of Keith Stokes as interim director of the RI Economic Development Corporation.
I’ve had the privilege to work with Keith on a number of occasions, and he’s an excellent choice. With his background as...
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