Mental Health

After the loss of a close friend to suicide, Joe has become a passionate advocate for mental health and suicide prevention.

• Joe introduced legislation that would require safety barriers or netting on the three bridges that connect Aquidneck and Conanicut islands to the Rhode Island mainland. Due to these efforts, the RI Bridge & Turnpike Authority is developing a plan on the cost of these measures.

• The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for better mental health services in our community.

Cost of Medicine

In 2020, Joe introduced legislation that would cap the amount health insurance providers can charge for copays for insulin.

In the last four years, insulin prices have doubles. According to a 2018 survey by UpWell Health in Salt Lake City, half of people with diabetes have temporarily skipped taking insulin because of rising costs. In four years, insulin prices have doubled, forcing many Rhode Islanders to make a choice between their health or financial ruin.

Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S. Its complications, including heart disease, stroke, amputations, blindness and kidney disease, are both serious and expensive.