State-level Medicare for All could save us money while making healthcare free for every resident of the Commonwealth. Despite having almost universal coverage, over 70% of insured residents report issues with affordability. Meanwhile, 36% of our state budget goes to pay for healthcare and within the private system, Massachusetts Health Connector patients face a 7.6% premium increase this year, totaling at least 31% since 2015. MA has one of the highest per capita healthcare costs in the country and a single-payer system would save 29% of our current spending on healthcare.

• Establishes a single-payer health care system in Massachusetts

• Provides health care for all Massachusetts residents and individuals who work more than 20 hours per week in the state without premiums, co-pays, or deductibles

• Bans private insurance coverage for services already covered by the single-payer system

The Opioid Crisis

In 2015, at least 1,750 people died from opioid overdose in MA, and by 2021, the annual death toll had risen 30% at nearly 2,290. Additionally, Department of Public Health data shows widening racial disparities in overdose deaths. Every day, 6 people die of drug overdose in Massachusetts.

• Establishes a 10 year pilot program of overdose prevention centers (OPCs) that require approval by local boards of health
• Establishes legal and regulatory framework to operate OPCs successfully
• Makes legality of OPCs explicit, including civil and criminal protection for municipalities, providers, and clients
• Requires data collection to prevent overdose deaths and guide public health efforts

Abortion Access

Though the ROE Act was a significant milestone, barriers to reproductive health care still exist, especially for low-income communities, communities of color, youth, and immigrant communities. Stronger digital privacy laws must be passed to keep patients safe from harassment and targeted litigation. MassHealth reimbursement rates, often far below the cost of care, must be increased and Bay Staters of all ages should be able to access timely care without interference from parental consent or judicial bypass. Lastly, a research and education effort must be launched to ensure that our state has the resources it needs.

• Requires patients to sign informed consent form, with translations available, for any reproductive-care-related procedure
• Removes mandatory waiting period
• Bars providers from forcing patients to review ultrasound results and appear at provider facilities any longer or more frequently than is the standard of care
• Targets Crisis Pregnancy Centers with provisions ending any counseling or information in any form that is “medically inaccurate, medically unnecessary, or misleading”
• Adds additional provisions to expand inclusion and accessibility in reproductive healthcare
• Removes age requirement to sign informed consent forms to receive reproductive healthcare
• Allocates support and unlimited financial assistance to veterans seeking abortion-related care