Mary Duffy Messier – RI Future

July 1, 2016July 1, 2016

The people have decided, kind of…

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Update: July 1: Congratulations to Representative Blake Filippi, and independent representing Charlestown, New Shoreham, South Kingstown and Westerly. With James Mageau withdrawing from the race, he’s been effectively re-elected to his seat in the General Assembly.

Update: July 1: Both MaryEllen Goodwin and Paul Jabour have picked up opponents on the Senate side. As the Secretary of State website is updated, some who have drawn their papers are still be added. Jeffrey Orlando Caminero is challenging Goodwin and Brian E Hutchings has stepped up against Jabour. Both identify as Republicans.

Update: June 30: Kathleen Decker contacted me to say that she is running against Jared Nunes, saying, “I declared yesterday and have the time stamped copy on my desk now. I checked with the Secretary of State’s office and the declaration paperwork is still being entered into the database by different town and city boards.” The article has been amended to reflect that, though as of July 1 she still hasn’t been added to the Secretary of State’s website.

About one/third of the General Assembly was, barring disaster or scandal, effectively re-elected at close of business yesterday when the due date for officially declaring one’s candidacy ended. 13 senators and 21 House members were granted two more years in legislative office simply by showing up and signing some forms. These 35 lucky politicians won’t have to go through the tedious process of walking their district and meeting their constituents, spend any of their campaign cash or run any kind of campaign at all. They are all effectively re-elected, and they all get to take the year off.

All are incumbents and they hail from all over the state, representing both Democrats and Republicans.

Ray Hull, a Democrat representing House District 6 received no challengers, despite being removed from House Finance as a punishment for voting against the infamous tolls by Speaker Nicholas Mattiello. Mattiello, by contrast, earned 3 challengers.

There are wins here for both progressives and conservatives. Progressives may be happy with Shelby Maldonado’s easy win in House District 56 (Central Falls) or Gayle Goldin’s continued service in Senate District 03 (Providence) while conservatives can celebrate the continued State House presence of Antonio Giarrusso representing House District 30 (East Greenwich) and Dennis Algier’s continuing presence as Senate Minority Leader from Senate District 38 (Westerly and Charlestown).

Among those running unchallenged is Arthur Corvese, who has refused to return $900 in illegal NRA contributions to his campaign. Other candidates running unopposed who have taken but not returned illegal NRA contributions include: Charlene Lima $300, Robert B Jacquard$1350, Stephen R Ucci $2050, Brian C Newberry $1250, MaryEllen Goodwin $550, Daniel DaPonte $400, Roger A Picard $1100,Marc A Cote $1000, Erin Lynch Prata $600 and James C Sheehan $400.

Blood money is still money, after all.

For a visual representation, here’s every House and Senate District represented by Post-it notes:

Here’s the same wall with only active races:

Here’s the list, culled from the Secretary of State’s latest update of unopposed candidates:

House

RAYMOND A HULL (D) House 06

JOHN JOSEPH LOMBARDI (D) House 08

SCOTT A SLATER (D) House 10

CHARLENE LIMA (D) House 14

ROBERT B JACQUARD (D) House 17

K JOSEPH SHEKARCHI (D) House 23

ANTONIO GIARRUSSO (R) House 30

SAMUEL A AZZINARO (D) House 37

STEPHEN R UCCI (D) House 42

GREGORY J COSTANTINO (D) House 44

BRIAN C NEWBERRY (R) House 48

MICHAEL A MORIN (D) House 49

STEPHEN M CASEY (D) House 50

ROBERT D PHILLIPS (D) House 51

ARTHUR J CORVESE (D) House 55

SHELBY MALDONADO (D) House 56

JAMES N MCLAUGHLIN (D) House 57

MARY DUFFY MESSIER (D) House 62

GREGG AMORE (D) House 65

JOY S HEARN (D) House 66

MARVIN L ABNEY (D) House 73

Senate

MARYELLEN GOODWIN (D) Senate 01

GAYLE L GOLDIN (D) Senate 03

PAUL V JABOUR (D) Senate 05

ADAM J SATCHELL (D) Senate 09

DANIEL DAPONTE (D) Senate 14

DONNA M NESSELBUSH (D) Senate 15

WILLIAM J CONLEY JR (D) Senate 18

ROGER A PICARD (D) Senate 20

MARC A COTE (D) Senate 24

FRANK S LOMBARDI (D) Senate 26

ERIN LYNCH PRATA (D) Senate 31

JAMES C SHEEHAN (D) Senate 36

DENNIS L ALGIERE (R) Senate 38

February 25, 2016

AG’s office and OHIC seem to be patching things up

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Remember last summer when Attorney General Peter Kilmartin took the Health Insurance Commissioner to court over her decision on Blue Cross rates for individuals? Well, there are now some encouraging signs that these two government agencies are ready to patch things up.

At the House Committee on Corporations meeting Tuesday, representatives from the AG’s office and the Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner (OHIC) spoke in favor of compromise legislation that would allow both agencies to continue to be involved in health insurance rate approvals under certain conditions.

At the center of the issue is the unique process that Blue Cross & Blue Shield of RI (BCBSRI) is subject to when it comes to their individual plan rates.

All Rhode Island health insurers must submit any proposed rate changes to OHIC for approval before they can take effect – an annual process called “Rate Review.” OHIC staff dig deep into the insurers’ justification for their new rates, perform their own actuarial analyses, and solicit public comment from consumers.

This Rate Review process applies to all commercial health plans, except for BCBSRI’s individual market offerings – so-called “DirectPay” plans. That’s because an antiquated law from back when BCBSRI was the only option available to a consumer who wanted to purchase a health plan direct for his or her family.

The law subjects any proposed rate changes for the DirectPay plans to a special and totally separate process that involves the AG’s office and includes a formal hearing with a hired hearing officer where any consumers wanting to speak must testify under oath. These separate processes have confused consumers – we’ve been at Rate Review public comment sessions where DirectPay subscribers have come to speak only be to shut down by the Commissioner, who legally cannot hear their comments.

But the legislation submitted by Representative Mary Duffy Messier on behalf of the AG’s office would subject all health insurers to the same process and call for a formal public hearing and notification of the AG’s office only when the requested rate increase is 10 percent or more. It also allows OHIC to still hold the less formal public input meeting even if a hearing is necessary, allowing greater consumer access to participation in the process.

The AG’s office, OHIC and Blue Cross all signaled general support for the bill when it was heard in committee on Tuesday. The bill was held for further study.

Last year, the Attorney General disagreed with the Commissioner’s decision on the DirectPay rates and took her to court. OHIC ultimately won, but the legal spat held up rate approvals.

Both the Attorney General and the Health Insurance Commissioner are working in good faith to protect consumers, and this legislation lets them both continue to have a role in rate approvals. It will strengthen consumer protection, preserve consumer access to the process, and best of all, it will finally correct an outdated law and subject all health insurers to the same fair process.

July 31, 2015August 3, 2015

Healthcare workers fight for $15 in Rhode Island

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Over 150 front line medical caregivers rallied on Newport Avenue in Pawtucket yesterday afternoon to demand a minimum wage of $15. The timing and location of the event was carefully considered.

It was the 50th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid. The location, near Slater Park, is around the corner from two healthcare providers, ARC of Blackstone Valley, which provides services to adults with developmental disabilities and the Pawtucket Center, a Genesis Heath Care skilled nursing facility.

The rally was also just two miles from the Massachusetts border, where home care workers recently won a minimum wage of $15 to be phased in over the next few years. Rhode Island does not pay nearly as much.

SEIU 1199, representing the healthcare workers, released figures showing that at Pawtucket Skilled Nursing & Rehab, the starting rate is $11.75. 63 percent of workers make less than $15. At ARC of Blackstone Valley many direct care staffers earn $10.75 and 94 percent earn less than $15. Meanwhile, two miles up the street, a caregiver could find a job paying $15.

I spoke with two women whose adult, disabled children are cared for at ARC of Blackstone Valley. Both attested to the excellent care their families receive and to the need for paying better wages. The caregivers at ARC are like family, said Pat, whose daughter Rachel has many special care requirements.

Two women who work as personal care attendants in Massachusetts also addressed the rally. Deborah Hahn said, “…if Massachusetts PCAs can win $15, if New York fast food workers can win $15, you can too.”

This event is seen as part of the “expanding #fightfor15 movement” which has been defying expectations and scoring significant wins in recent weeks. The healthcare workers were joined at the rally by a host of labor and community groups, including the AFL-CIO, Unite Here! 217, Jobs with Justice, Fuerza Laboral, NEARI, Teamsters 251, UNAP, UFCW 328, and the RI Progressive Democrats. State Representatives David Bennett, Mary Duffy Messier and Scott Slater were also on hand.