The proposed bill, titled "The Primary Care Preservation Act," introduces a new chapter to Title 5 of the General Laws concerning businesses and professions. It allows 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 such as reception and referral coordination. The bill also stipulates that this contribution will be adjusted annually based on the consumer price index. Additionally, it prohibits payors from including clauses in contracts that restrict physician practices from charging this fee directly to patients or from billing on behalf of the practices.

Furthermore, the legislation ensures that patients who are behind on their practice support contributions will still receive essential care, including medication refills for 30 days and the transfer of medical records upon request. The bill also allows for the possibility of reimbursement for the practice support contribution by the state or payors, provided that such reimbursements are processed separately from direct patient billing. The act is set to take effect upon passage.