Consumer Protection

As part of the Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner's ongoing efforts to prioritize Rhode Islanders' health and access to services amid the COVID-19 state of emergency, our office issued a bulletin to insurers providing guidance on the new federal regulations regarding coverage of over-the-counter (OTC) COVID-19 tests. Beginning on January 15, 2022, OTC COVID-19 tests purchased by all commercial health insurance members shall be covered by insurers without imposing any cost sharing requirements or prior authorization for consumers.

Click here to view flyer. 

Click here to view flyer.

The Mental Health Association of Rhode Island created a behavioral health and substance use resource guide that includes crisis hotlines, referral networks, peer recovery lines, and support groups. 

Click here to view. 

Click here to view their website. 

Click here to view their website.

Click here to view their website. 

To learn more about HealthSource RI, Rhode Island's state-based health insurance exchange, visit their website here. 

Your insurance card has some of the most important information you need about your health plan. It tells providers basic information about your plan and who’s covered. Most insurance cards list toll-free phone numbers and website information where you can access the most current information for your plan. Be sure you check the back of the card for important information. For more information about using your health insurance plan, view the NAIC Guidance here. 

The Health Insurance Advisory Council (HIAC), exists to obtain information and present concerns to the health insurance commissioner from consumers, business, and health care providers affected by commercial health insurance decisions. Each month, members of HIAC meet to review policy reform proposals, regulatory enforcement activities, and any other issues of concern for consumers, business, and providers related to commercial health insurance. View more information here. 

The Health Care Cost Trends Project is a collaborative partnership between the Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner (OHIC), the Rhode Island Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS), Brown University’s School of Public Health, and the Peterson Center on Healthcare. The project was convened to study local health care cost trends and establish a target growth rate for the state and is guided by a steering committee comprised of government, business, and community leaders who are committed to improving the health care system by translating data into action. View more information here. 

As health care costs increase, the ability of Rhode Island small businesses (2-50 group size) to provide group coverage is impacted and fewer small groups participate in the small group risk pool. The goal of the Small Business Insurance Group is to identify and propose sensible, state based policy options for RI that will be in service to those Principles. View more information here. 

Membership in the Telemedicine Subcommittee was open to any individual or organization that wished to participate to ensure that as many viewpoints as possible were represented. The Telemedicine Subcommittee was staffed by OHIC, in partnership with EOHHS Medicaid and the Rhode Island Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Development Disabilities and Hospitals (BHDDH), with contracted project support. To facilitate discussions, project staff presented background information about the policy choices, including policies implemented by other states, and considerations for or against adopting a particular policy. View more about the Telemedicine Advisory Group here.