Healthcare

Sen. McKenney sponsored legislation that would authorize the purchase of medical debt for qualifed low income persons, using excess APRA funds. The program, to be administered by the general terasurer for the purchase, cancellation and forgiveness of medical debts would provide needed relief for countless Rhode Islanders struggling with medical debt. 

Sen. McKenney supported legislation that successfully repealed the sales tax on feminine hygiene products. The law, with support from the Rhode Island Medical Society, Planned Parenthood and the Women's Policy Institute, went into effect on october 1, 2019 recognizes femine hygiene products as a necessity, not a luxury. 

Sen. McKenney supported passed of the Reproductive Privacy Act (RPA) that solidified abortion rights in Rhode Island by codifying the protections of Roe v. Wade into state statute, ensuring access regardless of federal changes. Sen. McKenney cast a vote in favor of the law in the Senate which voted (21-17) on passage, helping to secure a landmark vicotry for reproductive rights advocates who had pursued similiar legislation in Rhode Island for decades. 

Sen. McKenney sponosored legislation that established audit requirements for pharmacy benefit managers, as well as annual audit requirements for health insurers in order to protect patient interests.

Sen. McKenney cosponsored legislation aimed to authorize trained pharmacists to prescribe and dispense self-administered hormonal contraceptives (bills and patches) to patients, aiming to increase access to birth control without requiring primary care visits. Pharmacists would be required to complete a training program approved by the state board of pharmacy prior to being eligible to prescribe and dispense the contraceptives.  Although the bill did not pass, it laid the groundwork for subsequent legislation in later years.