Healthcare Policy

Every resident of the Commonwealth deserves high-quality healthcare. Your access to necessary treatment shouldn't depend on your employment status or the profit margins of private insurance companies. I am fighting for a universal single-payer system that puts patients over profits. By prioritizing the stability of our rural hospitals and community health centers, we can ensure that the 1st Franklin District remains a place where everyone can get the care they need, when they need it.

I am a proud supporter of H.1405, an act establishing Medicare for All in Massachusetts. Massachusetts families and employers are currently paying significantly more in premiums and deductibles than citizens in countries with universal care. Under the current Federal administration, our tax dollars are being held hostage by a White House that uses healthcare funding as a weapon to punish blue states and target the most vulnerable members of our community, all to fund tax cuts for billionaires. From the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," which slashes billions from MassHealth, to the gutting of tax credits that keep Health Connector insurance affordable, the Republican plan is clear: hurt working families to provide a massive wealth transfer from the working class to the billionaire class.

With our healthcare system facing a crisis of rising costs and $3.5 billion in federal cuts by 2032, we must act now to enact a state-run single-payer system. In the face of a massive budget shortfall, we have no choice but to reform the system. H.1405 is a financially feasible plan that replaces soaring private premiums and unpredictable deductibles with a fair, transparent tax structure. Most small businesses would pay 7.5% to 8% payroll tax, which is significantly less than the cost of providing private insurance. For employees, a 2.5% payroll tax with the first $20,000 of income exempt ensures that working families keep more of their money. By taxing unearned income at 10%, we ensure that those profiting from dividends contribute their fair share to our community's health costs.

This system is projected to save the Commonwealth nearly $30 billion every year by eliminating the administrative waste of private insurance and negotiating fair prices for pharmaceuticals. These savings would allow the Massachusetts Health Care Trust to run a $10 billion annual surplus. This surplus enables us to absorb these federal cuts, protecting our hospitals and clinics .

Protecting Rural Medical Access:

We saw as the Steward Health bankruptcy left entire communities without reliable healthcare access. I will fight to ensure the Commonwealth steps in to protect our necessary healthcare access in the event of a crisis. We cannot allow the health of our neighbors and families to be jeopardized by corporate mismanagement and fraud. When our local hospitals are under threat, I will be the voice in the State House demanding that the Commonwealth protect our vital rural medical infrastructure. By transitioning to a single-payer model under H.1405, we provide stable and predictable funding to our community health centers that are currently struggling under the private-payer system. We can build a Massachusetts where primary care, mental health services, and prescriptions are free at the point of service.