Neronha addresses primary care crisis, says 51 percent of offices not taking new patients

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha has outlined a series of initiatives to help Ocean State residents see a doctor.

AG Neronha is introducing legislation with the help of state lawmakers to raise Medicaid reimbursement rates to 100 percent of Medicare rates for primary care providers.

Neronha hopes upping reimbursement rates will help medical institutions stop leaving the state.

Another bill would immediately eliminate nearly 100 percent of prior authorization requirements for primary care providers.

Neronha is also looking into petitioning the superior court to place any failing hospitals into a receivership to keep them open.

Neronha is also filing suit against CVS, Express Scripts and Optum, the three largest pharmacy benefit managers in the country.

The AG said that this is to protect residents from unfair practices causing drug prices to skyrocket.

According to the AG, the state has 606 primary care providers and 51 percent of their offices are not taking new patients.