Issue Position: Health Care

Issue Position

Quality, Affordable Health Care for All

Everyone deserves access to high-quality, affordable health care, and Jamie is committed to making this dream a reality for every member of our Commonwealth.

Jamie has been a strong supporter of a single-payer "Medicare for All" system as the best way of providing universal access to quality health care. A single-payer system would reduce unnecessary administrative costs and produce significant cost savings - enough to provide universal care. Jamie is proud to be a cosponsor of the Massachusetts Health Care Trust Bill (HB 2127), which would establish a single-payer system in Massachusetts.

Jamie believes that establishing true universal health care in Massachusetts and across the country is not only a health issue, but an economic one, too. Massachusetts businesses, especially small businesses, would reduce their costs and improve their ability to innovate by not having to worry about providing health insurance to their workers. Employees would become more productive by getting the care they need in order avoid lengthy absences from work, and would be more entrepreneurial by not staying at an unsatisfactory job because they're just trying to hold onto their health insurance. Finally, it is important to emphasize that towns and cities, as the employer of thousands of public employees, would save costs and become more efficient under universal health care, instead of facing protracted battles when negotiating health care benefits every few years.

In the past, Jamie has voted to protect funding for the Prescription Advantage program to help elderly families with their prescription drugs costs. He also has supported legislation that would help Massachusetts residents save thousands of dollars a year by re-importing prescription drugs from Canada. This bill would direct the Governor to apply for a federal waiver that would allow a newly created state office to distribute information and materials on how residents can safely buy prescription drugs at reduced prices from certified Canadian pharmacies.

Jamie has also fought to fully fund the Children's Medical Security Plan and Healthy Start program and eliminate the waitlist for kids and low-income pregnant women.

In 2008, Jamie was proud to support the Mental Health Parity bill and the Children's Mental Health bill, to make sure that Massachusetts residents have equal access to mental health services. He's also been a strong supporter of programs to help individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.

Jamie is also the lead sponsor of legislation to require health care companies, including MassHealth, to pay for cochlear implant surgeries for children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

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