Rep. Tom Stanley helped pass a bill that will enable patients to access healthcare services via telemedicine and provide vital funding to community hospitals in the midst of COVID-19.

An Act to promote resilience in our health care system (H.4916) mandates telehealth coverage for primary care services, behavioral health and chronic disease management – all areas that have experienced success with remote care in recent months – for at-home patients. It also enables telehealth in the provider-to-provider context for all healthcare services, including when delivered to a patient located in a healthcare facility. The bill also authorizes the Health Policy Commission to issue recommendations on future telehealth services for at-home use. Under the bill, insurers must cover services delivered by a wide range of technologies, including audio-only telephone calls, but may also pay a greater rate for the use of audio-video technology. MassHealth would be able to reimburse audio-only telephone calls at the same higher rate as audio-video technology, in recognition of the barriers in access many MassHealth enrollees may face. Learn more.

Rep. Stanley joined his colleagues in signing a letter to Speaker DeLeo and Chair Michelwitz requesting the passage of H2776/S1877, a resolve to create a commission to study the Commonwealth’s seal and motto, be included among those bills. The Senate recently voted unanimously in favor of this legislation.

The bill does not try to answer the difficult questions of what Massachusetts’ State seal and flag should look like but instead appoints a commission to examine our current flag and seal to determine whether and how these prominent symbols could better reflect our values in a more just way. The commission would also assess the cost of its recommendations.

In the wake of George Floyd, we have seen other states begin this process of thoughtful analysis of their symbols and imagery following an awakening to the reality of structural racism and its far-reaching effects. In fact, the Massachusetts Black and Latino Caucus has endorsed this bill in recognition of the fact that injustice to one group is injustice to all.

Liz Pulice was recently elected the first female president of the Waltham Lions Club. The Waltham Lions Club was chartered in 1939 with its motto "to serve." The club raises funds within the community mainly to assist with eye research and to prevent blindness but it also supports four other core global causes: hunger, diabetes, the environment and childhood cancer.

During the current Corvid-19 pandemic, the Lions have been busy working with Brownie troops to send letters to the elderly, and helping set up for food distribution. The club's first new project will focus on hunger projects working on partnerships with Waltham Fields Community Farm around local food access for fresh produce and with Healthy Waltham to pack food for distribution.

President Pulice hopes to expand partnerships with organizations the Lions Clhub has worked with in the past, and with Bentley and Brandeis universities and with youth organizations like the Boys & Girls Club and the Girl Scouts. Engaging younger people with services opportunities helps connect the club to the community in new ways.

Not yet registered? Register to vote in Massachusetts here by August 22nd.

In order to vote by mail, you must FIRST return your postage paid application to request a mail-ballot. All registered voters should have received their application for an absentee ballot in the mail during the week of July 15th. You can also download an application here. Make sure to return your application for an absentee ballot as soon as possible because it takes time for the application to be processed. The deadline for returning your application for an absentee ballot is August 26th. 

Absentee ballots will start to be sent out in early August. Once you receive your absentee ballot, please fill it out and mail it back in as soon as possible. Absentee ballots must be received - not just postmarked - by 8pm on Tuesday, September 1st.

The Baker Administration released additional data on community level spread of COVID-19 in order to target additional resources and implement community specific strategies to stop the spread of the virus.

Last week, Governor Charlie Baker announced a new set of initiatives aimed at stopping the spread of COVID-19 in Massachusetts, especially in higher risk communities that have seen a recent uptick in cases. While Massachusetts has seen an overall decrease in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations since May, there has been a slight uptick in certain communities in recent days.

The Administration released data on the average daily cases per 100,000 residents, average percent positivity, and total case counts, for all 351 Massachusetts cities and towns over the last two weeks. Based on the average daily cases per 100,000 residents, each city or town has been designated as a higher risk, moderate risk, or lower risk community. Going forward, this information will be updated and included in the Department of Public Health’s weekly public health dashboard, which is published each Wednesday. Click here to view the map.

Governor Baker today signed An Act Financing the General Governmental Infrastructure of the Commonwealth, which authorizes up to $1.8 billion in capital funding for key investments in public safety, food security, and information technology. This includes programs to enhance the security of the Commonwealth’s IT assets, improve the delivery of state and local services, and continue responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

$660 million in authorizations in the legislation will support IT infrastructure needs throughout the Commonwealth, strengthening cybersecurity and improving how state agencies serve their constituents. The bill authorizes $90 million for public safety including $10 million to establish a new fire training facility in southeastern Massachusetts.

$346.5 million is authorized for municipal grant programs including $25 million for firefighter safety grants, $10 million for a municipal ADA-accessibility grant program, and $5 million for the Community Compact program. The legislation also authorizes $37.3 million in capital funding to ensure food security for residents across the Commonwealth.