There are several examples in other states or entities with broad remit and capacity that may provide, at least partial, models for Rhode Island. These include the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission, the Vermont Green Mountain Care Board, and the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission.
Priority 3: Access There were three broad areas of concern related to access raised by community members in the focus groups and community conversations. First, there were concerns around how this merger will impact entry into and access through the health care system. Community members are worried that they will get “lost in the shuffle” and are concerned about continued access to their current providers. This is particularly true within historically marginalized communities, where there are already existing disparities in access. These concerns were not just about changes to entry and access, but were also interrelated to questions around how changes to the healthcare system would impact the affordability of care. Financial, digital, and physical accessibility must be a top priority for the IAHS. The IAHS must also demonstrate how it will address the accessibility components of coverage, timeliness, workforce, and services. Second, there is an interest in having the IAHS support and collaborate with community-based organizations as part of broader efforts to increase services. To achieve improved access, careful consideration will be required around how to not just improve access to the system’s hospitals, clinics, and offices, but also how the system will support access to services in the community, ensuring that the communityclinical linkages that lead to improved health equity are strong and sustainable. Third, patients and providers who are outside of the system worry about what the proposed merger means for them, especially when they must interact with the new system.
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