RI leaders applaud SCOTUS ruling

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI/AP) - Rhode Island's Democratic leaders say the U.S. Supreme Court ruling upholding the Affordable Care Act is a victory for efforts to ensure all Rhode Islanders have access to quality health care.

Democratic congressmen David Cicilline and Jim Langevin said Thursday that the ruling settles the debate about the new law and allows the state to move forward with efforts to implement the law.

Cicilline, who was still Providence mayor when Congress passed the law, says the ruling means that more than 7,500 young Rhode Islanders can stay on their parents insurance plans until age 26, and ensures that 54,000 residents with pre-existing conditions will have access to coverage.

“Now that our nation’s highest court has settled this debate, we should all work together to ensure that that this law is implemented so that it provides real benefits for American families,” Cicilline said in a statement.

Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Jack Reed also applauded the ruling.

"By upholding the law, the Court validated the principle that all Americans should have access to health care. Seniors will continue receiving discounts on prescription drugs, children can continue to stay on their parents’ health insurance policy after college, and individuals suffering from chronic illness won’t need to worry about running into lifetime caps," Whitehouse said in a statement.

“Today’s ruling moves us closer to providing more Americans with access to affordable coverage. Everyone should be responsible when it comes to health care, and, under this law, everyone -- from individuals to small business -- will be eligible for important new health insurance benefits, protections, and choices," Reed said in a statement.

Gov. Lincoln Chafee, an independent, says addressing rising health costs and access to quality care is an economic imperative for the state.

“I have fully committed to ensuring Rhode Island is a national leader in implementing health reform whatever the Supreme Court decision, and this just reinforces that commitment,” said Governor Chafee. “It is an economic imperative that we address the problem of uninsured Rhode Islanders and rising healthcare costs. I’m confident of the clear path forward that we have marked to achieve universal coverage for Rhode Islanders, and now we can get back to that important work with this decision behind us."