Rhode Island PR Campaign to Reduce Older Adult Overdoses

Published in RINewsToday on February 16, 2026

Four months ago, the State of Rhode Island joined an estimated 5,000 community coalitions across the nation and U.S. territories to participate in the 2025 National Substance Use and Misuse Prevention Month. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, organizes this annual federal initiative to highlight the importance of early intervention and community-based prevention strategies.

During November, the State launched its 2025 public awareness campaign titled No Matter Why You Use, aimed at preventing overdose deaths among adults ages 45 to 64 and older. This demographic group faces unique and often complex health risks that increase the likelihood of fatal overdose, making the campaign an important component of the Ocean State’s comprehensive strategy to reduce overdose deaths and improve lives.

The initiative focuses on aging adults who use substances, providing education and resources to help them feel more connected. “It’s also about eliminating stigma and amplifying the voices of those with lived experience,” said Cathy Schultz, Director of the Governor’s Overdose Task Force, in the statement announcing the program.

The statement also included comments from Linda Mahoney of the state’s Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities & Hospitals (BHDDH), who emphasized the campaign’s creative approach: “The approach we’ve used is designed to elicit a reaction of ‘this is my struggle,’ ‘that could be my friend,’ or ‘that could be my parent.’ The average person doesn’t typically connect substance use with older adults, but that’s part of the issue we face. If we can raise greater awareness of this reality, we can make meaningful strides in prevention, recovery, and eliminating stigma.”

Maria Cimini, Director of the Rhode Island Office of Healthy Aging, highlighting the state’s responsibility as its older adult population grows. “We must see the full humanity of older adults and confront the issues that too often remain hidden. Substance use is not a moral failing—it’s a public health challenge. By meeting people where they are, connecting them to care, and breaking the silence around stigma, we can build stronger, healthier communities for everyone.”

Data Reveals Rising Overdose Risks for Older Rhode Islanders

According to Joseph Wendelken, RI Dept. of Health’s Public Information Officer, national rates of accidental and undetermined fatal overdoses declined from 2023 to 2024 among adults ages 55–64 (from 51.8 to 41.1 per 100,000) and those 65 and older (from 13.4 to 12.5 per 100,000).

Wendelken noted that Rhode Island, however, experienced different trends. During the same period, the overdose rate increased among adults ages 55–64 (from 51.6 to 63.5 per 100,000) but decreased among those 65 and older (from 15.6 to 12.4 per 100,000).

While much of the national conversation about overdose focuses on younger populations, research shows that middle-aged and older Rhode Islanders often struggle with co-existing physical and mental health conditions, chronic pain, isolation, stigma, and limited access to care — factors that can contribute to rising rates of substance use and overdose, says RIDOH.

Among the key statistics driving the public relations campaign are findings from Rhode Island’s 2024 fatal overdose data. Individuals ages 45 to 64 are experiencing accidental drug overdose deaths at significantly higher rates than the statewide average.

Compared to previous years, the Health Dept. says that the rate of accidental drug overdose deaths continues to rise among individuals ages 55 to 64 in Rhode Island. Most overdose deaths in this age group (87%) occurred in private settings, such as homes.

Stimulants — including cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, and amphetamines — contributed to 65% of fatal overdoses in this age group, reflecting a growing public health concern beyond opioid-related deaths. Fentanyl was involved in more than half (51%) of fatal overdoses, underscoring its continued role as a primary driver of overdose deaths. A combination of fentanyl and cocaine contributed to 34% of overdoses in this population.

The greatest proportion of overdoses in this age group occurred among males (69%) and non-Hispanic white individuals (74%).

A Statewide Strategy to Prevent Overdose and Save Lives

“The No Matter Why You Use campaign raises awareness of substance use and overdose risks among middle-aged and older adults, provides clear prevention information, and directs Rhode Islanders to PreventOverdoseRI.org for treatment and recovery resources,” said Wendelken. Educational materials have been distributed to hundreds of community partners, including senior centers, healthcare providers, libraries, senior housing sites, and recovery community centers.

The No Matter Why You Use campaign is being led in partnership by the Rhode Island Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS), BHDDH, OHA, and RIDOH. .

This data-driven campaign supports Gov. Dan McKee’s Overdose Task Force “Roadmap,” which is built on four pillars: strengthening comprehensive prevention; expanding harm reduction and rescue efforts; increasing engagement in treatment; and supporting recovery,” Wendelken explained.

The state initiative is guided by cross-cutting strategies designed to promote an equitable response to the overdose epidemic. These strategies include embedding racial equity across all pillars; strengthening governance and community engagement; expanding data capacity and surveillance; and addressing social determinants of health throughout each pillar.

According to Wendelken, this evidence-informed approach aligns with Rhode Island’s broader overdose prevention strategy and ongoing efforts to save lives.

The state partnered with RDW Group on the No Matter Why You Use campaign. The initiative is based on formative research that included in-depth interviews with subject-matter experts and individuals with lived experience — including people in recovery, counselors, social workers, community advocates, and physicians. These authentic voices helped shape the campaign’s messaging, which emphasizes the impact of stigma, hopelessness, and emotional distress as common triggers for substance use among aging adults who may feel isolated or disconnected.

The campaign’s powerful, portrait-style imagery and first-person messaging acknowledge that people use substances for complex reasons — including isolation, pain, trauma, anxiety, and depression — while centering compassion at its core: No matter why you use, your life matters. Hope and help are here, adds RIDOH.

You can find stories of local Rhode Islanders sharing their powerful recovery stories on the RIDOH (go to https://pori.soapboxx.com).

Designed to help individuals feel safe, seen, and supported, the campaign connects Rhode Islanders to local treatment, recovery, and harm reduction resources at PreventOverdoseRI.org. Its media strategy uses data-driven insights from fatal overdose heat maps to target placements for aging adult audiences. Outreach includes digital advertising on social media, website and app display ads, local and streaming radio spots, and advertisements on gasoline pump televisions.

RIDOH notes that The No Matter Why You Use campaign also includes grassroots outreach to more than 250 organizations statewide. Its launch is part of a comprehensive and ongoing effort by Rhode Island to address substance use and related public health crises.

From Crisis to Recovery

The state’s new No Matter Why You Use campaign, aimed at reducing overdose deaths and addressing stigma among older adults, marks an important first step in combating substance use disorder, says Diane Dufresne, Director of the Pawtucket Prevention Coalition. The coalition is a community organization dedicated to addressing social issues such as substance use, poverty, and homelessness.

Dufresne emphasizes the importance of using precise, nonjudgmental language like “substance use disorder” to shape public perception and support recovery.

“The state’s campaign sloganis powerful because it centers compassion over judgment and makes one thing clear: every life is worth saving,” says Dufresne, who holds a degree in counseling and has been a certified prevention specialist for five years. She also brings more than 40 years of experience as a registered nurse, this extensive clinical background strengthening  her work in substance use prevention and advocacy.

Drawing on her frontline experience, Dufresne agrees with the state’s assessment that substance use and overdose rates are rising among adults age 45 and older. She attributes this trend in part to limited harm-reduction education available to this generation.

“Many older adults developed addictions through legitimate opioid prescriptions and now face complex health challenges, including dangerous interactions with medications prescribed for coexisting conditions,” she explains.

Dufresne notes that shame and stigma are primary drivers of isolation among older adults, increasing the risk of fatal overdoses. “Older adults are more likely to use substances alone in private settings. “Younger people have received more harm-reduction education and better understand the risks of using alone,” she says.

Dufresne also highlights significant barriers to treatment, including transportation challenges, insurance limitations, technology gaps, and reduced mobility. Addressing these obstacles, she says, will require increased state funding and more targeted outreach efforts.

“Increased funding is necessary for community organizations to expand anti-stigma education, provide training opportunities, and connect older adults with treatment and recovery services,” Dufresne says.

The No Matter Why You Use campaign acknowledges the unique challenges facing this demographic, including limited exposure to modern harm-reduction practices, a higher likelihood of addiction stemming from prescribed opioids, and increased social isolation.

Dufresne advocates pairing Narcan distribution with anti-stigma education and recommends practical strategies to reach isolated seniors.

“Effective outreach should include combined Narcan and anti-stigma training in senior housing and community centers, along with door hangers that provide service information for individuals in private residences,” she says.

Above all, Dufresne stresses that saving lives must remain the priority.

“The act of saving a life should never be influenced by judgments about a person’s history of addiction or previous overdoses,” she says.

Bipartisan Push to Restore House Permanent Select Committee on Aging

Published in RINewsToday on February 9, 2026

According to Meals on Wheels America, every day, 12,000 Americans turn 60. By the end of this decade, one in four Americans will be over 60—an irreversible and historic change in population.  Yet even as the nation ages, older Americans remain without a permanent seat at the House legislative table to shape aging policy.

In 1993, during the 103rd Congress, the House Permanent Select Committee on Aging (HSCoA) was dismantled as part of a budget-cutting push by House Democratic leadership, which stripped $1.5 million from its funding. From 1974 to 1993, the committee had served as Congress’s primary forum for aging issues, initially with 35 members and ultimately expanding to 65.

Looking back, the HSCoA had handled a heavy workload, carefully scheduling hearings and issuing a steady stream of reports.  In a March 31, 1993 St. Petersburg Times article, Staff Director Brian Lutz of the Subcommittee on Retirement Income and Employment reported that “during its 18 years of existence, the House Aging Committee had been responsible for about 1,000 hearings and reports.”

Sixth Time Could Be the Charm

Since its elimination, House lawmakers have made four attempts to reestablish the committee. Former Rep. David Cicilline first introduced a resolution during the 114th Congress, with efforts continuing through the 117th. In the 118th Congress, Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-RI) picked up the baton and revived the initiative. On January 21, 2026, he once again introduced House Resolution 1013 to restore the panel—this time with bipartisan support, including original cosponsor Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL). At press time, the resolution had been referred to the House Committee on Rules for markup prior to consideration by the full House. No Senate action is required.

More than 30 years later, as the older population surges, Congress’s failure to reinstate a dedicated aging committee is no longer merely an oversight—it is an increasingly costly mistake.

“It is about time — or really past time – for the House to re-establish the HSCoA,” says Max Richtman, president of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare (NCPSSM), who served as staff director of the Senate Special Committee on Aging in the late 1980s.

Richtman says that a re-established HCoA would be of tremendous value to older Americans, because it could conduct investigations and develop legislation for the committees of jurisdiction in the House to take up, as the Senate committee historically has done. “We need an HSCoA in the House because its full-time job would be to safeguard the interests of seniors. There is no other House committee that can do that.”

Richtman notes that, without an HSCoA, it can be challenging for other House committees to fully review senior-related issues “that cross jurisdictional lines or involve complex interactions of a wide range of disciplines.”

Opponents argue that eliminating the HSCoA reduced “wasteful” spending, noting that 12 standing committees already have jurisdiction over aging-related issues. Advocates counter that these committees lack the time, staffing, and singular focus needed to examine aging issues comprehensively, as the select committee once did.

“Older Americans are an important and growing part of our population, and they deserve a seat at the table when Congress considers issues that directly affect their lives,” said Rep. Magaziner. “Protecting Social Security and Medicare, strengthening housing stability, and lowering everyday costs—including prescription drugs—highlight the need for a dedicated committee focused on improving seniors’ quality of life.”

“I am proud to reintroduce bipartisan legislation to reestablish the House Permanent Select Committee on Aging so we can better deliver for older Americans nationwide,” he added. “This committee would bring members of Congress together for meaningful work on the challenges and opportunities that come with aging, and I remain committed to working across the aisle to advance this effort.”

Magaziner has acknowledged entrenched opposition from senior committee leaders of both parties who are reluctant to cede jurisdiction. Nevertheless, he remains committed. “I will continue working to ensure older Americans have the focused advocacy they deserve in Congress,” he pledged.

Magaziner’s resolution has been endorsed by the Legislative Council of Aging Organizations (LCAO), a national coalition of advocacy groups currently chaired by Richtman and NCPSSM. “The Select Committee would have an opportunity to more fully explore a range of issues and innovations that cross jurisdictional lines, while holding field hearings, engaging communities, and promoting understanding and dialogue,” said LCAO in a letter supporting the resolution.

An Easy Fix

According to the Congressional Research Service, creating a temporary or permanent select committee requires only a simple resolution establishing its purpose, defining membership, and outlining responsibilities. Funding for staff salaries and operational expenses are authorized through the Legislative Branch Appropriations bill.

Magaziner’s  203-word resolution, amends House rules to establish a Permanent Select Committee on Aging. The committee, having no legislative authority, would be charged with conducting comprehensive studies of aging issues—including income, poverty, housing, health, employment, education, recreation, and long-term care—to inform legislation considered by standing committees. It would also encourage public and private programs that support older Americans’ participation in national life, coordinate governmental and private initiatives, and review recommendations from the President or the White House Conference on Aging.

Aging policy touches nearly every aspect of American life, yet it does not fall neatly within the jurisdiction of any single standing committee. Depending on the legislative, five to seven standing committees may draft a bill affecting older Americans. Without an HSCoA, pressing aging issues may be ignored.  A focused  committee would bring together Republican and Democratic lawmakers from multiple committees to closely comprehensively examine legislative proposals, both transparently, and responsibly.

While standing committees draft legislation, the HSCoA would serve a distinct but equally vital role—providing oversight, public education, and keeping the spotlight on aging issues. Key priorities include ensuring the solvency of Social Security and Medicare, lowering prescription drug costs, supporting family caregivers, combating elder fraud, and addressing affordable housing, healthcare access, and social isolation.

For more than 60 years, the Senate has recognized the value of its Special Committee on Aging. The House once did as well—producing lasting, bipartisan results. The People’s House should reclaim that leadership, particularly as older Americans face rising costs, employment barriers, and growing loneliness.

Capitol Veterans Speak Out to Bring Back HSCoA

According to Bob Weiner, former HSCoA chief of staff director during the tenure of the late Rep. Claude Pepper (D-FL) his tenure as select committee chair, the legislative panel elevated aging issues that otherwise struggled to gain sustained attention in Congress. “The bill stopping end to mandatory retirement would never have happened,” says Weiner who was a confidant of Chairman Pepper.

He recalls how it unfolded: “Chair Pepper and the committee got the President and Congress to abolish age-based discrimination in employment and mandatory retirement. President Carter invited the entire committee to the White House and later signed the bill with a powerful statement.”

“Pepper even went to the Bush and Reagan administrations and said, ‘Over my dead body’ would Social Security be cut or privatized,” Weiner added.

If reestablished today, Weiner believes the committee should draw lessons from its past. “We need full-scale investigations into fraud and scams, along with strong protections for Social Security and the Older Americans Act,” he said. He also argues the committee could play a critical oversight role in accelerating research into Alzheimer’s disease. “Seniors are justifiably terrified of dementia and Alzheimer’s. Advances in biological treatments may offer hope for prevention and reversal.”

Responding to standing committee concerns about jurisdiction, redundancy, and budgetary impact, Weiner dismisses claims of duplication. “The Aging Committee uniquely focused on aging priorities. That focus is sadly missing today,” he said.

Weiner also urged Rep. Magaziner to visibly demonstrate his commitment to recreating the House Aging Committee. “If he talks it up around the House floor like Pepper did, he’ll earn goodwill and support from members of both parties,” he said. “It is crucial that House Res. 1013 pass the Rules Committee. Nothing meaningful on aging will happen without dedicated congressional leadership.”

Momentum or Missed Opportunity

With the midterm elections just 266 days away, and now that Rep. Magaziner has secured support from a Republican lawmaker, he must continue building bipartisan momentum. None of the previous five attempts to restore the House Aging Committee attracted Republican cosponsors.

In the 119th Congress, Magaziner should seek endorsement from the bipartisan House Problem Solvers Caucus, led by Co-Chairs Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01) and Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY-03).  Aging policy should not be considered a partisan issue but a bipartisan one.

It would also be extremely helpful for Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar to reach out to the Republican House Caucus, especially to the Florida Congressional Delegation (20 Republicans and 8 Democrat) to become cosponsors of H. Res. 1013, honoring the legacy of the late Rep. Claude Pepper, Florida’s most prominent chair of the House Select Committee on Aging.

“What made the House Aging Committee truly influential was Claude Pepper’s leadership. Others chaired the committee before and after him and did good work, but none brought national attention to aging issues the way Pepper did. Even today, members of Congress still say, ‘We need another Claude Pepper,’  says Thomas Spulak, president of the Claude Pepper Foundation and former chief council when Pepper chaired the House Rules Committee.

“While that will never happen, it would take someone with a rare combination of commitment, visibility, empathy, and knowledge to restore that level of importance to an aging committee, this is exactly why resolutions like this one matter—to remind us of what effective leadership on aging once looked like, and what it could look like again,”  Spulak observed.

The Claude Pepper Foundation should engage these lawmakers to encourage their active involvement in restoring the committee. In addition, the Claude Pepper Foundation should educate lawmakers on the positive benefits of restoring the committee. According to the Foundation’s core mission is to promote policies and programs that improve health, expand economic opportunity, and advance social justice for all Americans—especially older adults. It also seeks to provide policymakers and the public with research and information on these issues, and to encourage actions that enhance the quality of life for all citizens.

Ageism by Omission

“Ageism is as much about what you don’t do and what you do the failure to establish the HSCOA is one obvious example  Why is a HSCOA vitally needed. To help avert Possible major cuts in Social Security in as soon as 7 years. Getting a family caregiver tax credit passed. Renewing the Older Americans Act This House has done so little for older adults. Passing the Magaziner resolution would go a long way to improve on this sad record,”  adds a Bob Blancato, a staff person serving the committee from 1978 to 1993 and now president of Matz, Blancato and Associates,

Gov. McKee’s Proposed FY 27 Rhode Island Budget: What’s in It for Seniors

Published in RINewsToday on February 2, 2026

Gov. Dan McKee outlined key elements of his proposed $14.8 billion FY 2027 budget during his State of the State Address on Jan. 13, 2026. Two days later, his full budget, proposing a 3.6% increase over the previous fiscal year, was officially released via press release.

The budget centers on an “Affordability for All” agenda and a $600 million bond package, covering the fiscal period starting July 1, 2026. Key proposals include a new income tax tier for earnings over $1 million, a permanent child tax credit, a phased elimination of the state tax on Social Security benefits, repeal of a gas tax increase, and continued investments in projects that support jobs and economic growth.

The proposal also aims to shield vulnerable Rhode Islanders from potential federal cuts, including the elimination of Affordable Care Act subsidies, changes in Medicaid eligibility rules, reductions in federal support for hospitals treating uninsured patients, and modifications to SNAP regulations.

“My commitments to Rhode Islanders are clear: putting more money back in families’ pockets, protecting the most vulnerable from President Trump’s safety net cuts, and keeping Rhode Island building to support good-paying jobs and long-term economic growth,” McKee said in a statement accompanying his full budget.

While the Governor’s plan emphasizes affordability through higher incomes and improved healthcare outcomes, along with proposing a 3% tax on high earners, Jesse Martin, Executive Vice President of SEIU 1199NE, cautions, “The plan falls short of what’s needed to meet these goals. What’s more, the state’s recent minimum wage increase has actually reduced take-home pay for low-income home care workers and cut care hours for their vulnerable consumers. Rather than reducing care, the governor should offset these costs through increased federal Medicaid funding.” Martin co-represents over 5,000 health care and service workers in Rhode Island.

Budget Highlights for Older Adults  

For over a decade, the Rhode Island General Assembly has considered measures to gradually eliminate or reduce the state tax on Social Security benefits. This budget proposes phasing out this tax over the next three years. The full cost impact would be $60.1Million in FY 2030.

In AARP Rhode Island’s 2023 Vital Voices survey of Rhode Islanders 45+, 89% agreed that “Rhode Island lawmakers should repeal the state tax on Social Security,” said State Director Catherine Taylor in a newspaper editorial. “This sentiment is consistent regardless of age, gender, or political party,” she said.

Laura Hart, Gov. McKee’s Deputy Director of Communications, notes that senior services funding has grown under his leadership: “In FY21, the budget included $0.8 million for senior services. By FY26, that number had risen to $1.6 million. For FY27, the governor recommends $1.8 million—more than doubling the funding since he took office.”

Hart adds, “Rhode Island is only one of eight states that tax Social Security income. This tax can discourage retirees from staying in the state and contributing to the economy. Under the Governor’s proposal, the phase-out prioritizes 9,000–10,000 early retirees whose average income is $44K single/$75K joint—clearly not high-income earners—and who represent one-third of the population currently subject to the tax.”

Aging advocates continue to push for an increase in funding for local senior centers, aiming for allocations equivalent to $10 per resident age 65 and older.

Support for Nursing Homes and Affordable Housing

“LeadingAge Connecticut & Rhode Island was pleased to see the Governor’s budget proposal include a 2.5% cost-of-living adjustment for nursing home rates, along with an initial rate increase equal to 50% of Rhode Island’s Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner’s biennial rate review recommendation for many Medicaid-funded home and community-based services,” says President Mag Morelli. “We understand this increase is intended as the first phase, with the remaining 50% anticipated next year,” she said.

Morelli also highlights the Administration’s focus on affordable housing, noting the growing need for accessible and affordable options for older adults. She urges further support for Medicaid-assisted living programs to sustain existing services and promote expansion, which she describes as a cost-effective option supporting independence and choice.

Kathleen Gerard of Advocates for Better Care in Rhode Island, a member of the Raise the Bar on Resident Care Coalition, emphasizes the importance of transparency and resources: “As our long-term care system faces increasingly complex pressures, transparency, accountability, and adequate resources are critical to protecting the health and safety of older adults and people with disabilities.”

She adds, “In addition to enforcing the Nursing Home Staffing and Quality Care Act, Raise the Bar is calling for a full Medicaid cost-of-living increase for nursing homes—above the 2.5% proposed by Governor McKee. We also urge new funding for the Ombudsman program, which has gone years without an increase despite its vital role in helping residents resolve care concerns. Finally, we support the Department of Health’s nursing home financial transparency bill to ensure owners are accountable for public funds.”

Other Provisions

The proposed budget also aims to maintain enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies to keep coverage affordable for approximately 20,000 individuals. Without $9.5 million in state funding, an estimated 6,500 individuals could lose coverage.

The budget seeks to curb healthcare cost growth and increase drug-price transparency by authorizing the Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner to set enforceable annual cost-growth targets and requiring Pharmacy Benefit Managers to report detailed rebate, pricing, and fee data. These measures are designed to improve oversight, contain costs, and reduce drug prices for older Rhode Islanders.

McKee also proposes a $19.3 million investment in information technology, personnel, and resources to ensure Rhode Islanders can retain Medicaid and SNAP benefits under the federal reconciliation bill H.R. 1, while maximizing federal funding for these critical programs.

Additionally, the budget allocates $10 million to Rhode Island-based hospitals through the Disproportionate Share Hospitals payment to offset uncompensated care losses. Funding for social and human services providers is increased by $23 million in FY27, and state funds to combat food insecurity are doubled, raising support for the Rhode Island Community Food Bank from $1 million to $2 million. According to America’s Health Rankings, roughly 4.1% of Rhode Island adults aged 60 and older face food insecurity.

Securing Affordable Living for All Older Rhode Islanders

SACRI was pleased to see McKee put emphasis on affordability in his budget address and his expressed support for increasing taxes on higher-income residents to fund essential services, said SACRI Policy Advisor Maureen Maigret. When hammering out the FY2027 budget proposal, she urges the  House and Senate Finance Committees to allocate additional funding for programs and services that assist low- and moderate-income older adults from across the state facing economic challenges. The reality is that  one out of four older RI households have income less than $25,00 and almost half have income less than $50,000. Affordability measures must be aimed at putting money in the pockets of all older adults and not just those fortunate enough to have higher incomes, stated Maigret.

According to Maigret, SACRI has proposed and shared its 2026 Affordability Agenda for Older Adults for the Rhode Island General Assembly to consider as it develops and finalizes the state’s FY2027 state budget. The agenda tackles significant inequities in state programs and services, she noted, pointing out that Medicaid currently allows older adults and adults with disabilities to have only $4,000 in assets (for individuals) to remain eligible. This restriction is particularly unreasonable for those trying to live independently at home, especially since other Medicaid populations do not face such limits. What happens when the roof needs repairs or the hot water heater breaks,” she said.

Maigret stressed that keeping people at home and out of more expensive nursing homes can save the state money over time. She added that in 2025 with strong advocacy from SACRI, strides were made in expanding eligibility for the Medicare Savings Program (MSP), and as of February 1, individuals with incomes up to $2,255 per month are eligible—provided their assets are below $9,660.

SACRI advocates joining at least 12 other states in removing Rhode Island’s MSP asset limitation so that hundreds more Medicare recipients could have their $202.90 monthly Part B premium covered by the federal government. The savings would flow back into the state economy as recipients use the funds for basic needs.

SACRI supports the Governor’s proposed child care tax credit and also advocates for a similar credit for the hundreds of unpaid caregivers providing at-home care for older loved ones, often at significant financial sacrifice.

“We also strongly support Rep. Karen Azalter’s (D-Dist. 60, Pawtucket, Central Falls) and Senator Melissa Murray’s legislation (D-Dist. 24, Woonsocket, North Smithfield) legislative proposals  (H7313 and S2238) to create a 3% surcharge on the top 1% of income earners. The projected revenue of more than $200 million would help offset the modest costs of the proposals in our agenda, as well as other programs affected by federal changes,” Maigret said.

Next Steps

“The submission of the budget by Governor McKee signals the start of the months-long budget process,” says House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi (D-Dist. 23, Warwick). The House and Senate Finance Committees will hold dozens of public hearings, all televised by Capitol TV, to scrutinize every aspect of the budget.

Shekarchi adds, “We welcome all interested parties to testify at the State House. Once the hearings are completed, the House, Senate, and Governor will work together to finalize the budget in late May for adoption in June. Once enacted, it will go into effect on July 1.”

To view Governor McKee’s full budget submission, visit: https://omb.ri.gov/budget-office/fy-2027-governors-budget.