Rhode Island Attorney General Enhances Health Care Market Oversight

PROVIDENCE, RI — Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha has issued a new regulation requiring certain medical practice groups to notify his office before entering mergers or acquisitions, including transactions involving private equity firms.

The regulation, announced Thursday, is intended to allow the Attorney General’s Office to review deals that could affect competition, health care prices and access to services.

“Rhode Island’s health care system faces challenges on many fronts,” Neronha said in a statement. “But first and foremost, it is a crisis of access. Rhode Islanders everywhere struggle to find quality health care, especially primary care. At the same time, private equity and increasing market consolidation drive up the cost of care, further inhibiting patient access.”

Neronha said the rule is meant to give the office a “bird’s eye view” of medical group mergers and their potential effects on patient access. “For our part, we will continue to pull the levers available to us to ensure that all Rhode Islanders have unencumbered access to affordable, quality health care,” he said.

Under the regulation, Rhode Island-based medical practice groups must notify the office of any merger, consolidation or acquisition that would result in ownership or control by a private equity investor; create a group of eight or more physicians, physician assistants or nurse practitioners; or establish a management services organization or similar entity that manages contracts with insurers or third-party administrators.

Applications must include basic information about the parties involved, expected changes in services and locations, and anticipated effects on reimbursement rates, referral patterns, access to care and quality.

The rule follows an eight-month rulemaking process that began with a public notice in May 2025. A public hearing was held in July, and the office accepted comments through July 23. After revisions, the rule received final approval from the Rhode Island Secretary of State’s Office in early January. It took effect Jan. 28.