According to the poll, 36% of Rhode Islanders graded the state\u2019s overall healthcare system as a \u201cC,\u201d or \u201csatisfactory,\u201d while 27% rated it as a \u201cB,\u201d or \u201cgood.\u201d Most Rhode Islanders also feel that access to healthcare in the state is satisfactory (34%) or good (28%), and the quality of it is mostly good (37%) or satisfactory (31%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The cost of healthcare, however, is a problem, Rhode Islanders say. This year\u2019s poll shows that healthcare costs were the most-common worrisome household expense over groceries, gas, monthly rent and other expenses among respondents. Seventy-two percent of the poll\u2019s respondents indicated they were either very worried (33%) or somewhat worried (39%) about healthcare costs for themselves and their families.<\/p>\n\n\n
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\u201cEvery household bill we asked about gets easier as income rises, except healthcare costs. What this tells us is that for low-income households in Rhode Island, healthcare costs are one worry among several others, as budgets are stretched across a variety of necessities,\u201d said Michael DiNardi<\/a>, URI associate professor of economics and SSIREP director. \u201cAmong high income households in Rhode Island, healthcare stands alone, 17 points above any other costs we surveyed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n More troubling is some Rhode Islanders are choosing to not seek medical help due to those rising costs. According to the poll, 29% of Rhode Islanders did not pursue doctor-recommended procedures, tests or other evaluations in the last 12 months. The most common reason? Cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe data show us that unaffordable healthcare costs serve as barriers to care,\u201d said Julie Keller<\/a>, URI associate professor of sociology and Rhode Island Survey Initiative lead researcher. \u201cThis is especially concerning since delaying care often leads to poor health outcomes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n Additionally, the 89% of those polled who are covered by health insurance want to see changes to help make healthcare more affordable in Rhode Island. Forty-one percent said they want to see their respective coverages reduce out-of-pocket costs. Also, 24% said they would like to see the elimination of prior authorizations, which refers to the approval process many health insurance companies require before services, treatments or medications can be obtained. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The poll shows that 19% of Rhode Islanders with health insurance want to have greater choice in what doctors and specialists they see. In addition, Rhode Islanders surveyed overwhelmingly (44%) trust their own doctors or healthcare provider \u201ca great deal\u201d for reliable information about their health, more than double the share who said the same about the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (18%), Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (16%), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (15%), President Donald Trump (13%), or Rhode Island state officials (11%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Growing support for a public medical school<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Another solution favored by a growing share of Rhode Islanders is for URI to establish a medical school to train more primary-care doctors. Support for the idea rose to 82% in this year\u2019s poll, up from 75% last year. In June, the URI Board of Trustees authorized the next phase<\/a> of developing a public medical school after state leaders approved a historic $5 million investment to help the University address the state\u2019s ongoing healthcare challenges. URI is now moving forward with key elements of the effort, including hiring a founding dean, project manager and development officer, and beginning curriculum planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Plus, 49% of the poll\u2019s respondents say that Rhode Island isn\u2019t spending enough money on improving and protecting healthcare in the state, with 62% indicating that healthcare should be a top priority for elected leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Along with noting healthcare costs being problematic, this year\u2019s survey also asked Rhode Islanders about other top priorities to be addressed by state government; thoughts on the gubernatorial election; trust in the federal government; and another critical topic for Rhode Islanders: housing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Housing, other key priorities<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This year\u2019s poll shows that 64% of Rhode Islanders feel addressing the state\u2019s housing crisis should be the most important priority for state elected officials, slightly higher than healthcare (62%). Eighty-two percent of respondents this year believe that the cost of housing is \u201csomewhat of a problem\u201d or \u201ca big problem.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n With that, 43% of Rhode Islanders blame landlords for price gouging their tenants, and 28% say there isn\u2019t enough investment being made toward public housing. They also feel high mortgage interest rates (25%) and rising construction material and labor costs (24%) are also causing rising housing prices in Rhode Island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/news\/sites\/16\/2026\/08\/Julie-Keller.jpeg\")