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3/9/2026
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Sen. Ujifusa and Rep. Stewart legislation aims to protect Rhode Islanders from Medicare Advantage’s disadvantages
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STATE HOUSE – Sen. Linda Ujifusa and Rep. Jennifer Stewart are sponsoring legislation to protect Rhode Islanders from the disadvantages of Medicare Advantage insurance plans.
The legislators remind enrollees that the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period ends March 31. Prior to that date, beneficiaries may switch to another Medicare Advantage plan or return to traditional Medicare. Residents who want help reviewing their options can contact the Rhode Island State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) or speak with trained advisors at their local senior center.
Currently, more than half of those eligible for traditional Medicare have Medicare Advantage plans because they offer cheaper up-front costs and are aggressively marketed.
“Unfortunately, people do not realize that Medicare Advantage plans can have significant disadvantages,” said Representative Stewart (D-Dist. 59, Pawtucket). “These include severe limits on which doctors and hospitals enrollees can use, prior authorization requirements that block enrollees from getting care their doctors ordered and higher out-of-pocket costs when they become seriously ill. In addition, Medicare Advantage marketing simply does not provide enough information about how limited and limiting their coverage is, nor how difficult it is to switch plans. Surely, the public deserves more transparency.”
The resolution (2026-S 2465, 2026-H 7430) introduced by Representative Stewart and Senator Ujifusa asks the federal delegation to push to address the problems with Medicare Advantage that prevent seniors from getting the affordable care they want and deserve.
“Original Medicare was not perfect,” said Senator Ujifusa (D-Dist. 11, Portsmouth, Bristol). “But instead of building up the existing Medicare program that had a relatively small administrative cost and let patients see any doctor they wanted without prior authorization, Congress decided to allow private corporate insurers to step in.”
A recent Medicare Advantage dispute in Rhode Island should be a wake-up call. Beginning July 1, a contract dispute involving UnitedHealthcare’s Medicare Advantage plans left four major hospitals — Rhode Island Hospital, The Miriam Hospital, Newport Hospital, and Hasbro Children’s Hospital — out of network for affected patients. Many patients suddenly had their care disrupted and primary care providers were forced to scramble to find hospitals and specialists that were still covered.
The estimated amount overpaid to Medicare Advantage is as much as $140 billion annually — more than the amount needed to address important traditional Medicare gaps. In addition, Medicare Advantage plans have been found to use prior authorization to deny medically necessary care.
“Seniors expect Medicare to be there for them in their golden years, but so-called ‘Advantage’ plans have a history of putting profits ahead of patients,” said Dr. Ed Weisbart, national board secretary of Physicians for a National Health Program. “These plans are run by corporations like UnitedHealthcare, which have been delaying and denying care for seniors while draining resources from Medicare to pad the bottom line. We need Congress to take urgent action to end this profiteering and improve traditional Medicare.”
For more information, contact:
Meredyth R. Whitty, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 222-1923
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