Health Care & Prescription Drugs

Current Campaigns

Making Health Care Work

President Obama has proposed a plan that will address America’s most urgent health care problems, and key leaders in Congress are actively supporting health care reform. But the closer America gets to improving health care, the harder the insurance industry and drug companies will fight to weaken reform. Read more.

Safe And Affordable Drugs

Pharmaceutical companies make the medicines that enable us to live healthier, longer lives. But their business practices also drive up drug prices and increase the risk of harmful side effects, and their strong-armed lobbying has blocked needed reforms. Read more.

Hospital Safety

Thousands of Americans every year succumb to infections at hospitals that result in serious illness or death. We’re working to make hospitals come clean starting with requiring them to disclose their infection rates. Read more.

Overview

In a country with a world-renowned medical reputation, we expect drug companies to rigorously test and truthfully market their drugs. We expect that Americans have the means to treat illnesses, and hospitals will put our health and safety over all other concerns.

But prescription drug prices are soaring, the Vioxx tragedy demonstrates that drugs are not always safe, and infections at hospitals kill too many patients. Health insurance plans too often fail to provide the coverage or treatments we need.

Too often, it is powerful special interests that are keeping our country from fulfilling our expectations of health and safety. RIPIRG works to counter their influence and protect the health of all Rhode Islanders.

The price of prescription drugs is too high. The problem is worst for the 46 million uninsured Americans, who must either pay full price or go without needed medications. RIPIRG is working to make prescription drugs affordable for us all.