This November in Massachusetts, the economy is on the ballot. In poll after poll voters say their biggest concerns in the race to be the state’s next governor are financial, with 56 percent of people in a Suffolk University/Boston Globe/NBC10 Boston/Telemundo poll out last week saying they’re somewhat or very worried about their financial situation.
The reasons are obvious, and many.
Sky-high inflation, surging interest rates, spikes in the price of gas and energy, all exist on top of seemingly ever-rising costs for housing, health care, energy, and education that combine to make Massachusetts one of the most expensive places to live in the country.
Many voters said they’d like to see reforms around MassHealth, the state’s public health insurance program. Vargas fears her teeth might fall out due to substandard dental care. “They only give coverage for the simplest things,” she said. “If you need more work done you need to wait to approve it.”
And Guerrero says he’s “constantly jumping through hoops” to get insulin for his diabetes through the program.
“I have to call every month just to re-order my supplies,” he said. “But that wouldn’t be a big deal if I got my supplies.”
The next governor can help by eliminating copays for medications for chronic conditions like diabetes, asthma, and heart disease, said Amy Rosenthal, the executive director of Health Care For All, the same way COVID vaccines don’t require a copay.
“Why are we not doing this for all chronic conditions? It will be a cost savings for the health system.”
To read the full article, click here.