Maddy summaryThis bill establishes an occupational presumption for frontline healthcare workers in Massachusetts who contracted COVID-19 on or before June 15, 2021, allowing them to receive workers' compensation benefits without needing to prove their illness was work-related. The law mandates that these workers do not have to use accrued paid time off, such as sick leave or vacation, during periods of hospitalization, quarantine, or self-quarantine resulting from their infection. Employers are required to reinstate these workers to their previous positions once they have recovered or completed their quarantine, provided the employer followed all relevant safety orders and advisories regarding personal protective equipment and social distancing. Additionally, the bill allows healthcare workers who refuse to return to an essential employer due to a good-faith fear of exposure to be treated as constructively discharged for the purpose of receiving unemployment benefits.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new legal framework to require large streaming entertainment companies to pay fees to the state for using public roads and infrastructure to deliver their services. It defines "streaming entertainment operators" as companies earning more than $250,000 annually in Massachusetts and establishes a new advisory board to calculate fair payment rates that help fund public access television channels. The legislation gives the state authority to collect these assessments and enforce penalties for non-compliance while explicitly stating that the state cannot regulate the prices streaming companies charge their customers.
Maddy summaryThis bill aims to update how the state of Massachusetts provides financial support to local community media organizations. It seeks to modernize the existing funding framework to ensure these groups can continue producing programming that serves their specific neighborhoods. The legislation would allow for a more flexible allocation of public funds to help these media outlets operate effectively.
Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts insurance laws to require health plans to provide clearer information about prescription drug formularies and costs. It mandates that plans explain what a formulary is, list all drug management rules like prior authorizations, and display specific co-pay amounts or cost ranges for different tiers of coverage. Additionally, the law requires plans to update their online drug lists within 72 hours of any changes and to use a standardized template for displaying this information. These provisions apply to policies issued, delivered, or renewed on or after January 1, 2018, directly affecting insurance companies and their enrollees.
Maddy summaryThis bill proposes to create a new state system called the Massachusetts Health Care Trust to provide universal health coverage for all residents. It establishes a Board of Trustees and an Executive Director to manage the program, which is designed to offer affordable and equitable access to medical services for everyone in the Commonwealth. The legislation amends existing state laws to add this new chapter, effectively replacing or supplementing the current insurance model with a single-payer approach.
Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts law to require Medicaid coverage for tobacco cessation counseling and related information. It directly affects Medicaid beneficiaries who need help quitting tobacco use and the healthcare providers who deliver these services. The key provision expands the definition of covered counseling to include individual, group, and phone sessions offered by a wide range of qualified professionals, such as physicians, dentists, and behavioral health counselors. By ensuring these services are paid for by Medicaid, the legislation aims to increase access to tobacco cessation support for low-income residents.
Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Executive Office of Health and Human Services to create a task force that will study how to allow school districts to receive direct payments from MassHealth for medical services provided to students. The proposed task force would include leaders from health and education agencies, representatives from various medical and school organizations, and members of the state legislature. Its specific job is to analyze current reimbursement rules, identify barriers to payment, and determine how funds are currently distributed to schools. The group must submit its findings and recommendations for potential new laws by January 1, 2024.
By Representatives Gentile of Sudbury and Kane of Shrewsbury, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2182) of Carmine Lawrence Gentile, Hannah Kane and others for legislation to reduce incidence and death from pancreatic cancer. Public Health.
Maddy summaryThis bill proposes to establish a new state system called the Massachusetts Health Care Trust to provide universal health coverage to all residents of the Commonwealth. It creates a new chapter in state law that defines key terms, such as "resident," to explicitly include homeless, incarcerated, and undocumented individuals living in Massachusetts. The legislation declares that access to quality health care is a right for all residents and aims to eliminate out-of-pocket costs like co-payments, deductibles, and co-insurance. By setting up a dedicated trust fund and board of trustees, the bill outlines the structural framework needed to finance and administer this comprehensive health care program.
Maddy summaryThis bill creates a special commission to study ways to improve pollinator health by increasing native habitat in places like farms, forests, parks, and urban areas. The commission will include representatives from government agencies, universities, farmers, beekeepers, and environmental groups, with the secretary of energy and environmental affairs serving as chair. Over the next year, the group will review current laws, compare successful programs from other states, assess funding needs, and gather data on pollinator populations. By May 1, 2025, the commission must submit its findings and any recommended laws to the state legislature for further action.