Rep. Jack Lewis

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new program in Massachusetts to provide comprehensive health coverage for children and young adults under 21 who are residents but currently ineligible for MassHealth solely due to their immigration status. The legislation ensures that these individuals receive the same benefits as other residents of similar age and income levels, regardless of whether federal funding is available to support the program. By adding a new section to the state's health laws, the bill directs the executive office of health and human services to maximize federal contributions while guaranteeing that coverage is not dependent on those funds.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts law to change how the state recovers money from the estates of seniors and disabled individuals who received MassHealth benefits. It primarily affects people who die after April 1, 1995, by expanding the age limit for estate recovery from 65 to 55 years old for services provided after October 1, 1993. The legislation ensures that recovery can only occur after a surviving spouse dies and there are no surviving children under 21 or with disabilities, while also allowing for waivers in cases of undue hardship. Additionally, the bill restricts recovery to specific types of care, such as nursing facility and home-based services, and prevents the state from collecting more than the actual cost of services provided.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to lower the maximum rates that temporary nursing agencies can charge skilled nursing facilities for nurse and aide services. To set these new caps, the department must calculate rates based on the average wages of regular facility employees plus payroll taxes, ensuring agency fees do not exceed 150% of those wages. The legislation also requires agencies to report if they are owned by the same people who own the facilities where they place workers, which would ban such agencies from staffing those specific facilities. Additionally, the bill mandates stronger reporting on worker compensation, training, and performance, while requiring the department to consult with senior care and healthcare worker unions before making these changes. The Department of Public Health must finalize and adopt these new regulations within 180 days of the bill passing.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new drug access program in Massachusetts to improve coverage for specific high-value medications used to treat chronic conditions like diabetes, asthma, and heart disease. It mandates that the state secretary of health and human services identify one generic and one brand-name drug for each of these conditions based on clinical evidence and cost-effectiveness, while explicitly designating insulin as the covered diabetes treatment. The program requires health plans to cover these selected drugs without requiring prior authorization or step therapy, aiming to reduce costs and improve patient adherence. Additionally, the legislation sets up a requirement to evaluate the program's impact on treatment adherence and healthcare costs every two years.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new chapter in Massachusetts law dedicated to language access and inclusion for state agencies. It creates a legal framework requiring agencies to provide equal access to public services for individuals who do not speak English as their primary language. The legislation mandates that agencies develop formal language access plans to outline how they will offer translation and interpretation services. Additionally, the bill defines key terms such as "limited English proficient" and "culturally competent" to guide how state departments interact with diverse populations.

Senate, October 19, 2023 -- The committee on Senate Ways and Means, to whom was referred the Senate Bill enabling pharmacists to prescribe, dispense and administer PrEP (Senate, No. 1353),- reports, recommending that the same ought to pass with an amendment substituting a new draft with the same title (Senate, No. 2480).

Maddy summaryThis bill requires three types of facilities in Massachusetts to provide free disposable menstrual products to people who menstruate. Specifically, it mandates that temporary housing providers, such as shelters and safe houses, supply these items without cost. Additionally, the law requires all primary and secondary schools to offer free menstrual products in restrooms, and it orders correctional facilities, including jails and prisons, to provide these products to incarcerated individuals. The legislation aims to ensure convenient and non-stigmatizing access to sanitary napkins, tampons, and liners in these specific settings.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows licensed pharmacists in Massachusetts to prescribe, dispense, and administer PrEP, a medication used to prevent HIV infection. To qualify for the drug, patients must test negative for HIV within the last seven days, show no signs of acute HIV infection, and not be taking any medications that conflict with PrEP. Pharmacists providing the treatment must offer counseling on safety, side effects, and adherence, and they are limited to issuing a 60-day supply no more than twice every two years. Additionally, pharmacists are required to notify the patient's primary care provider about the treatment unless the patient lacks a provider or refuses consent.

Senate, October 19, 2023 -- The committee on Senate Ways and Means, to whom was referred the Senate Bill to increase access to disposable menstrual products (Senate, No. 1381),- reports, recommending that the same ought to pass with an amendment substituting a new draft with the same title (Senate, No. 2481).