The bill introduces the "Primary Care Preservation Act" as a new chapter in Title 5 of the General Laws. It authorizes physician practices in Rhode Island to charge a practice support contribution of up to $120 per year for each patient enrolled in a healthcare insurance plan, excluding Medicaid and traditional Medicare. This fee is intended to cover operational services, including reception, referral coordination, medication refill management, medical assistant support, and general operational overhead. The contribution will be adjusted annually based on the most recently published consumer price index by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The legislation prohibits payors from including clauses in contracts that restrict physician practices from charging this fee directly to patients or from billing or collecting it on behalf of the practices. Additionally, physician practices may require the payment of the practice support contribution as a condition for scheduling non-emergent appointments for patients enrolled in healthcare insurance or Medicare Advantage plans. However, patients who are in arrears will still receive standard and customary care, including medication refills for 30 days and medical record transfers upon request.

The act also includes provisions for the potential reimbursement of the practice support contribution by the state or payors, ensuring that such reimbursements are processed separately from direct patient billing. The act will take effect upon passage.