白宮發文悼記亞特蘭大槍擊事件一週年

(Boston Orange 綜合整理) 1年前的今天，亞特蘭大發生槍殺案，一名槍手衝進3家亞裔經營企業，射傷8人，其中6人為亞裔女性。這可怕的槍擊事件震驚全美。美國白宮今 (16)日 發文悼念事件中的傷亡者，稱這事件彰顯了美國需要更進一步的對抗種族歧視，厭惡女性，以及所有形式的仇恨，還有如流行病般造成這些極端事件的槍枝暴力。

             美國總統拜登 (Biden) 說，他和副總統哈里斯 (Harrison)飛到亞特蘭大和亞裔社區領袖晤面，也聽到太多亞裔從新冠病毒大流行發生，反亞裔仇外心理，騷擾，以及暴力事件飆升到驚人程度後，開始感覺到的恐懼與憤怒。

                       祖父母輩的人害怕出門，小企業主被人針對，槍殺。許多家庭生活在就連走進美國街頭都要為生命安危感到恐懼之中。這鮮明的提醒人反亞裔暴力及歧視已深植美國，而亞裔婦女因為他們的性別與族裔遭人針對，經歷著多重傷害。

             今天，我們誌記那些面對悲劇，展現非凡韌性的受害者，他們的家庭，以及亞特蘭大社區。雖然我們不能讓受害者起死回生，他們的殞落促使我們考慮到美國長期以來的反亞裔情緒，基於性別的暴力，並再次承諾為亞裔、夏威夷土著，太平洋島民社區，以及所有社區送上他們應享有的完整正義，安全，及尊嚴。

                       我為去年5月我把不分黨派的新冠病毒仇恨犯罪法，正式簽署為法案，感到很驕傲，那是給政府及執法人員協助防止，追蹤，以及因應仇恨行動專用的新工具及資源，加上司法部補助款，以及其他加強社區參與，賦能及教育的辦法。

             這悲劇事件也提醒人槍枝暴力的流行。我領導下的政府已在接掌後的第一年，就比其他政府採取更多行政行動來減少槍枝暴力，但是還有更多要做的，而且國會必須行動。

             在這讓人憂鬱的週年紀念，我的政府保持完全的承諾致力促進所有亞裔，夏威夷土著，以及太平洋島民，特別是承受著不成比例的恨的女性，女孩們的安全，包容，以及歸屬感，而且要減少威嚇我們社區的槍枝暴力。攜手一起，我們必須打造一個沒有人懼怕暴力的未來。

             副總統哈里斯也經由總統的副助理兼資深亞太裔及夏威夷土著、太平洋島民資深聯絡員Erika Moritsugu，以及WHIAANHPI執行主任Krystal Ka’ai在今日於喬治亞州亞特蘭大舉行，名稱為「打破沉默:給亞裔婦女的正義 – 全國的 (Break the Silence: Justice for Asian Women – National)的亞裔領袖聯盟活動中朗讀她的聲明。

             哈里斯的聲明文內容為: 一年前，我們的國家遭受著令人髮指的暴力行為，一種出於種族歧視，性別歧視以及仇恨的行為。今日，作為一個國家，我們見證了那些讓人無法忍受的現象在我們的社會中仍然存在，而且令人悲傷的已存在很久了。特別是我們見證了過去幾年來反對亞裔婦女的暴力及歧視增加了。我們重新致力竭盡所能地來確保所有亞裔，夏威夷土著，太平洋島民的個人及社區安全，免於暴力，歧視及恐懼。一年之後，這個社區的8個人，其中6人是亞裔女性，生命被奪走得太快。他們是朋友，兄弟姊妹，家長。他們每一個人都被深愛著，他們每一個人也都會被深深懷念。我們的國家悼念他們的殞落。他們的家人和親人在我的思念忠和祈禱中。 

 

Today, the President released a statement on the one year anniversary of the Atlanta shootings honoring the victims.

 

One year ago today, eight people, six of them women of Asian descent, were tragically killed by a gunman who attacked three Asian-run businesses. These horrific murders shook communities across America and underscored how far we have to go in this country to fight racism, misogyny, and all forms of hate—and the epidemic of gun violence that enables these extremists.

In the aftermath of these senseless deaths, the Vice President and I traveled to Atlanta to meet with leaders of the Asian American community. We heard about the terror and anguish that too many Asian Americans have felt since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, when anti-Asian xenophobia, harassment, and violence skyrocketed to alarming levels. Grandparents afraid to leave their homes. Small business owners targeted and gunned down. Families living in fear for their lives just walking down the street in America. It was a stark reminder that anti-Asian violence and discrimination have deep roots in our nation, with Asian American women experiencing the compounded harms of being targeted on account of their race as well as their gender.

Today, we honor the victims, their families, and the Atlanta community that has shown extraordinary resilience in the face of tragedy. While nothing we do can bring the victims back, their loss has compelled us to reckon with our nation’s long legacy of anti-Asian sentiment and gender-based violence, and recommit ourselves to delivering the full measure of justice, safety, and dignity the Asian American and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander community and all communities deserve. I was proud to sign the bipartisan COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act into law last May, which dedicated new tools and resources across government and law enforcement to help prevent, track, and respond to acts of hate, along with new Department of Justice grants and other measures to enhance community engagement, empowerment, and education.

This tragedy is also yet another reminder of the gun violence epidemic. My Administration has taken more executive action to reduce gun violence than any other Administration it its first year. But there is more to do—and Congress must act.

On this somber anniversary, my Administration remains fully committed to advancing safety, inclusion, and belonging for all Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders—especially the women and girls who disproportionately bear the burdens of hate—and to reducing the gun violence that terrorizes our communities. Together, we must build a future where no one fears violence.

###

 

Vice President Harris has also released the following remarks, to be delivered by Erika Moritsugu, Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior AA & NHPI Liaison, and Krystal Ka’ai, WHIAANHPI Executive Director, during today’s Asian Leaders Alliance event based in Atlanta, Georgia entitled: “Break the Silence: Justice for Asian Women – National.” During this event, Erika Moritsugu will be reading the following directly from Vice President Harris:

• One year ago, our nation endured a heinous act of violence—an act born of racism, sexism, and hate.

 

• Today, as a nation, we bear witness to the intolerance that still exists, and has sadly long existed, in our society. In particular, we bear witness to the increase in violence and discrimination in the past few years against Asian American women.

 

• And we recommit to doing all we can to ensure all Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander individuals and communities are safe from violence, discrimination, and fear.

 

• One year ago, eight members of this community, six of whom were women of Asian descent, were taken too soon. They were friends, siblings, parents. They were each deeply loved. And they are each profoundly missed.

 

• Our nation mourns their loss. Their family and loved ones are in my thoughts and prayers.

 

To view the event, please click here: Break the Silence: Justice for Asian Women - National - YouTube

 

Please also click here to view the Vice President’s posts:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/VP/status/1504127098511896579?s=20&t=nCQH5bBbHjoI2MJGa_drNw
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VicePresident/posts/396877872437708

Also, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra and U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai, Co-Chairs of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI) and President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (PACAANHPI), issued a joint statement on the one-year anniversary of the tragic Atlanta spa shootings on March 16, 2021, in which a gunman targeted three separate Asian-owned businesses in Georgia and killed eight people, including six women of Asian descent.

 

• View full statement here: https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2022/03/16/secretary-becerra-ambassador-tai-reaffirm-administrations-commitment-addressing-anti-asian-hate-gender-based-violence-on-one-year-anniversary-of-atlanta-spa-shootings.html

 

“We share our deepest condolences with the families of the victims of the senseless shootings that shook our nation one year ago. The tragedy in Atlanta not only left families without their loved ones, but also further shook an entire community that was already facing escalating instances of anti-Asian violence, which disproportionately targeted women. At the onset of the pandemic, Asian Americans were increasingly met by racism and anti-Asian sentiment, which left many feeling scared to leave their homes because of safety concerns. That is unconscionable. It is unacceptable. And we will not stand for it.

“The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to fighting anti-Asian bias and gender-based violence, and ensuring that Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander families recover from the multiple crises they’ve been confronted with. Under our leadership, the White House Initiative and President’s Advisory Commission continue to coordinate a comprehensive federal response to address these issues and advance equity, justice, and opportunity for AA and NHPI communities. Together, we will work to ensure that our nation lives up to its founding ideals, and that the American Dream is within reach for every AA and NHPI family.”

###

 

Please save the date, Monday, March 21, 2022 from 1 – 2 PM ET as the White House and WHIAANHPI host a virtual AA & NHPI Womens’ Event: Women’s History Month & Atlanta One Year Commemoration. Join the White House, WHIAANHPI, and National AA and NHPI women leaders united in combating hate, then travel to different regions in the nation with events hosted by WHIAANHPI's Regional Network, providing regional based resources.

• Sign up for the National kickoff event: https://pitc.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_KL-TFVGiTTe6StDdsAG8jg

 

WHIAANHPI Regional Network Events on Anti-Asian Hate in March 2022

 

Region 1

(Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont)
Monday 3/21/22 2:30pm-3:30pm ET
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/whiaanhpi-national-briefing-breakout-for-region-1-new-england-tickets-295391683477

波士頓公校15日傍晚發生槍擊事件 老師、學生各1人受傷 波士頓市長吳弭探視

              (Boston Orange編譯) 在多徹斯特的學校門外發生槍擊事件，一名老師及一名學生受傷後，波士頓市長吳弭 (Michelle Wu) 和薩福克郡檢察官 Kevin R. Hayden，今 (16) 早先後到訪”科技波士頓學校 (TechBoston Academy)"。

             週二晚，受傷的老師及學生當時正準備著要參加學校活動。波士頓警察說，兇嫌目前仍然在逃。

             Kevin R. Hayden譴責與槍枝有關的犯罪事件是” 社區的恐怖”。

             他在一份聲明中表示，”就在過去這兩天，波士頓警察收繳了16枝非法槍枝，然後我們就在學校門前有一名兒童及老師在只能被形容為社區恐怖的情況中遭遇槍擊……，我們將和所有的政府及社區夥伴合作，減少這種安全威脅。

             槍擊事件發生在大約下午5點40分，位於和平谷(Peacevale)路，一度是多徹斯特高中所在的波士頓公校樓宇外發生槍擊事件，有人舉報槍手開了12槍，警察就趕了過去。

             根據Broadcastify.com的錄音，警察局調度員在警報中提醒警察有人開槍，說著，”和平谷路，和平谷路9號，12槍，有射手”。

             警察當局表示，一名31歲的老師和一名17歲的學生正在接受治療，無生命危險。

             波士頓警察局總監Gregory Long週二晚表示，”槍手開槍射擊他們時，2名受害者都在波士頓”科技波士頓學校”的停車場內，準備著要參加學校活動”。

             科技波士頓學校今(16)日停課，但向在這學校人員稱為”艱難的一週”中情感受傷，尋求協助的老師及學生們開放。該校週一才發生31歲技師Ernest Logan向未成年人索要，收取兒童色情圖片被捕事件。

             該校的男子籃球隊週二晚在Framingham球場的第3組季後賽中，以59比50輸給水城 (Watertown) 高中。該場比賽是安排在晚上7點15[ 開始。

             轄區包括多徹斯特，麥特潘，羅森岱爾，以及牙買加平原的波士頓市第4區市議員Brian Worrell，鑒於科技波士頓學校的槍擊事件，呼籲採取更多行動制止槍枝暴力。他在推特上說，”科技波士頓社區遭受這樣的暴力攻擊，我的心都碎了，我們需要採取行動來中止我們社區中的槍枝暴力”。

             吳弭市長參加了該校職工會議，直到大約早上9點才離開。

             週二晚在槍擊事件發生後，吳弭和波士頓公校總監Brenda Cassellius也和學校職工晤談過。吳弭在週二晚說，”這是讓人無法接受的情況，我們要竭盡所能的確保我們的每一所學校，公園，及社區是安全，歡迎人的地方，那也是所有我們的學生都應該享有的。這是個美麗的社區，這是所有愛心，而且堅強的學校，充滿著機會與能量”。

             這起槍擊事件，也是本學年內的第2宗波士頓公校教育人員遭遇襲擊事件。去年11月時，一名16歲女生在William Henderson博士包容學校攻擊Patricia M. Lampron校長，警方當時說，這學生把校長擊倒在地，昏迷不醒。

             吳弭身為2子之母，她說，每天早上，當她讓2個小孩準備開始一天的生活時，波士頓的學校是第一個閃進她腦子的地方。她說，”對老師和學校，人們是那麼信任”，”我們將不辜負那信任”。

"一年之後: 亞太裔婦女以及她們的聲音" 3/16下午2點網上座談

Register in advance for this webinar: https://pitc.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_cHuhwE9fQtqnTvibi7ejBQ

Speakers:

• Erika Moritsugu, Deputy Assistant to the President and AANHPI Senior Liaison

 

• Jenny Yang, Director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs

 

• Wendy Chun-Hoon, Director of the Women's Bureau (Moderator)

 

Feel free to share this invitation widely with colleagues who are engaged in DEIA initiatives or who may otherwise benefit from joining the conversation.

Erika L. Moritsugu

Deputy Assistant to the President and Asian American and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Senior Liaison

Biden-Harris Administration

Erika was appointed by President Joe Biden in April 2021 to serve as Deputy Assistant to the President and AA (Asian American) and NHPI (Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander) Senior Liaison. At the White House, Erika supports the Administration on a wide array of the President’s priorities and engages with AA and NHPI communities and leaders on important issues such as advancing safety, justice, inclusion, and opportunity for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities through a whole-of-government approach to racial justice.

Her past government service includes serving as the Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations at the Department of Housing and Urban Development under the leadership of Secretary Julián Castro in the Obama Administration and was the first-ever Senate Deputy Legislative Director at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

On Capitol Hill, she was a senior representative of Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois. Senator Daniel K. Akaka of Hawai’i, and at the Senate Democratic Policy Committee under Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada.

In the non-profit sector, Erika managed two teams the National Partnership for Women & Families for economic justice and congressional relations advancing workforce and health policies focused through a gender equity and race equity lens. Erika has also led the Government Relations, Advocacy and Community Engagement team at the Anti-Defamation League, a leading anti-hate organization.

Jenny R. Yang

Director of the OFCCP , DOL  

Jenny R. Yang joined the OFCCP as its Director on January 20, 2021. In the Obama-Biden Administration, from 2013-2018, she served as Chair, Vice-Chair, and Commissioner of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), after unanimous Senate confirmation. She led efforts to tackle systemic discrimination, including enhancing the EEOC’s annual data collection to include employer reporting of pay data and initiated the Select Task Force on the Study of Harassment in the Workplace. She led comprehensive investments in agency-wide technology, launching new digital systems to expand access to the public.

After her service on the EEOC, as a Senior Fellow at the Urban Institute, Ms. Yang worked to revitalize anti-discrimination laws to better protect workers as structural and technological changes transform work. In addition, as a strategic partner with Working IDEAL, Ms. Yang assisted employers in preventing harassment and promoting equality of opportunity in hiring, pay and promotion through the design of employment practices. Prior to joining the EEOC, Ms. Yang spent a decade representing workers in complex nationwide employment discrimination class actions and wage and hour collective actions as a partner at Cohen Milstein. Before that, she served as a Senior Trial Attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Employment Litigation Section. She began her career at the National Employment Law Project as a fellow advocating for the workplace rights of garment workers. After law school, she clerked for the late Judge Edmund V. Ludwig, of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. She is a graduate of Cornell University and New York University School of Law, where she was a Root-Tilden Public Interest Scholar.

Wendy Chun-Hoon

Director of the Women’s Bureau, DOL

Wendy Chun-Hoon serves as the 20th director of the Women’s Bureau, appointed by President Biden on February 1, 2021. Wendy is skilled at coalition building, bridging strategy across grassroots community organizing, and public sector policy making at state and national levels. She has held senior positions in Maryland state government and private philanthropy, overseeing large-scale, results-driven initiatives for worker and family economic justice. 

For the past 10 years, Wendy’s led Family Values @ Work, a national network of grassroots coalitions that have won more than 60 new paid leave policies bringing new rights to 55 million workers and their loved ones and are organizing to win greater access to child care, and fair wages and employment conditions for workers. Recognizing the ways in which her own family would be excluded from new policies for paid time to care, Wendy spearheaded the development of the Family Justice Network, building cross-movement organizing among paid leave advocates, communities of color, groups working for reproductive and disability justice, equality for LGBTQ individuals, and organized labor that has made inclusive family recognition a hallmark of the paid leave movement. Under Wendy’s leadership, FV@W’s staff and board grew and are now majority women of color. She was also instrumental in bringing together dozens of organizations to form a coordinated national campaign known as Paid Leave for All. 

Born and raised in Hawaii, Wendy graduated from Vassar College before earning master’s degrees in Philanthropic Studies and Nonprofit Management from Indiana University. An avid soccer player, Wendy lives with her wife and their two kids in Silver Spring, MD.

波士頓市長吳弭以視頻參加外交部NGO的「氣候正義領袖論壇」

           (Boston Orange) 波士頓市長吳弭 (Michelle Wu) 應波士頓經文處邀請，以預錄影片為外交部NGO國際事務會與「財團法人婦女權益促進發展基金會」合辦的「氣候正義領袖論壇」發表談話，分享波士頓因應氣候變遷經驗，珍惜與台北的姊妹市關係，以及有意藉由實施綠色新政，成為在氣候上採取行動的全國性領袖心願。

            在「氣候正義領袖論壇」於台北時間3月15日晚上8點半放映的這段錄影談話中，吳弭強調，要因應、改善氣候變遷對社會、地球帶來的影響，為社區、城市謀求更好未來，就必須跨業，跨界，跨境合作。

            吳弭指出，她就任波士頓市長100多天以來，波士頓市已把市府經費導離石化及其他對環境有害產業，擴大了免費公車計畫，讓人更容易搭乘公共交通工具；採取步驟來減少汽車排放量，推廣電動化。波士頓市也鼓勵居民藉社區選擇電力計畫使用更綠化的電力，還擬定環保工作計畫，幫助社區內的年青人為未來職業做準備。

            吳弭稱波士頓和台北這兩個城市，雖然彼此座落在世界的另一邊，卻有著要打造安全，茁壯及健康的相同目標，早在30年前，波士頓市和台北市就已簽約結為姊妹市，要從世界及大學到前沿創新，以及蓬勃發展的藝術、文化，在企業，文化及教育領域交流洞察、見識。她為兩個城市從綠化牆壁，屋頂，到透水人行道，以及生產再生能源的最低要求等等，都能分享經驗，彼此學習，感到驕傲。她也稱許台北市在綠化基礎建設，以及可持續城市實踐上，都是模範。

            吳弭在影片結尾表示，她謝謝「氣候正義領袖論壇」的領導力與合作協力，和波士頓一起向世界展示更綠化、環保的未來會是什麼模樣，需要怎麼做，才能達到理想。她希望很快就能和所有人親自見面。

            駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處在會後也感謝吳弭市長參加會議，表示將積極協助台北市和波士頓市的交流、合作，加強兩市的姊妹關係，攜手為綠色未來努力。

麻州長查理貝克提新法案 擴大改良醫療護理

             (Boston Orange 編譯) 麻州州長查理貝克 (Charlie Baker) 今 (15) 日到柯德文廣場健康中心 (Codman Square Health Center) 宣佈，提出「投資於人民未來健康的法案 (An Act Investing in the Future of Our Health) 」，要求醫療護理機構及保險商在一般醫療及精神和行為健康開支上，3年增加30%，並鼓勵更良好的協調護理。

            麻州政府照醫療護理機構及保險商的去年開銷估計，在3年增加30%的一般醫療及精神和行為健康開支，需資約14億元。

在麻州一般醫療及精神健康加起來在醫療護理費用中僅佔15%。醫院服務及處方藥在醫療護理開銷中佔得比率最大。

            查理貝克指出，新冠病毒大流行彰顯了一般醫療，以及精神健康醫療的重要。新法案有3大重點，包括把一般醫療和行為健康放在優先位置，管理增加家庭開銷的因素，以及改善獲得高品質醫療護理途徑。

             在新冠病毒大流行期間，因為醫院關閉或恐懼感染新冠病毒等因素，許多人無法像平日那樣去看病，以至於拖到病情更嚴重，需要更多醫院級的醫療護理。許多人的精神健康，也因此瀕危，每天都有數以百計的病人卡在麻州各醫院。

             查理貝克提出的新法案，並不會指示醫療系統或保險商在一般醫療及精神健康方面，如何增加支出，但他們可藉由增加給醫療供應商的付款比率，延長門診時間，或增加遠距醫療服務等來符合這些要求。

在協助家庭管理醫療費用開銷上，查理貝克的法案要求醫療服務供應商及保險商必須設立默認支付申報率，以有效地免於因為某些未預見的網絡外醫療服務費用帳單，和病人起爭議；藉用於高成本支付者和供應商的類似措施，追究高成本藥品製造商的責任，對藥價過度上漲的製藥商處以罰款，成立新的藥店福利經理監管機構。實施小組費率審查改革，以合併市場顧問委員會報告的建議來推廣採用及獲取高品質，低費用的醫療計畫。

            在2020年這受新冠病毒大流行影響的年份中，麻州醫療護理開支和之前一年相比，下降了2.4%，總額約626億元。但是當更多人們開始上醫院時，醫療開銷估計會再度攀升。

            為針對醫療護理的不平等，查理貝克所提法案還包括撥款給為麻州政府照顧貧窮及低收入居民所設「麻州健康 (MassHealth)」計畫提供一般醫療及精神健康服務的供應商。

            在解決藥品費用問題上，查理貝克希望加強監管那些成本增長比麻州基礎標準，目前為3.1%，更快速的製藥公司，並對藥價上漲過度的公司處以罰款。

            在改善人們取得高品質，有協調的醫療護理上，查理貝克的新法案還包括把牌照，執業範圍標準等要求現代化，讓合格醫師更快速取得多州執業執照，指示醫療資訊分心中心(CHIA)研究麻州醫療護理人力相關議題，掃除採納遠距醫療的障礙，促使醫療護理數據的標準，資訊的交換更為現代化。

            法案還包括更多條款，監管為保險公司協商藥價的藥店福利經理，新建稱為牙齒治療師的新牙齒醫療供應商，還要求緊急醫療中心接受「麻州健康」病人。

            查理貝克提出的這新法案和他在2019年末提出，但在麻州議會未通過的法案很相似。

Baker-Polito Administration Files Health Care Legislation Aimed at Expanding Access to Care

 

BOSTON — The Baker-Polito Administration today filed comprehensive health care legislation to strengthen the Commonwealth’s health care system by increasing access to care and controlling costs for Massachusetts families. The bill would increase investments in behavioral health and primary care through a new spending target for health care providers and payers. It would also control health care costs for residents and families by addressing systemic factors that drive increased spending. The legislation also takes several steps to improve access to high-quality care.

 

“An Act Investing in the Future of Our Health” includes several components initially filed by the Administration in 2019 and incorporates lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. Governor Charlie Baker announced the filing of the bill today at a visit to Codman Square Health Center alongside officials from Codman and Boston Medical Center. The Administration’s visit to Codman highlighted the legislation’s focus on increasing access to behavioral health services, especially given the impacts of the pandemic.

 

“Over the past two years, the Commonwealth’s health care workers stepped up to the plate and demonstrated the strengths of our health care system. But the pandemic also shed light on structural, underlying challenges, many of which we proposed addressing with our 2019 legislation,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “The bill we are filing today would increase access to behavioral care and other services that keep people healthier in the long-term by increasing investment in these areas. It would also control the factors that increase costs for residents and families, and improve access to high-quality, coordinated care. We know our partners in the Legislature agree on the need to address these challenges and look forward to working with them to enact these meaningful reforms.”

 

“We are pleased to file this bill which would make comprehensive changes that improve access to care and control costs for residents and small businesses,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “Our legislation would provide our small business owners with more affordable coverage options for their employees. It will ensure that high-value, affordable plans are easily accessible to small employers and their employees as well as for individuals and families.”

 

“The delay in preventative and behavioral health services resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with the significant workforce challenges within our healthcare systems, require deliberate action to meet the needs of our residents,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders. “For far too long, primary and behavioral health care have not been at the forefront of our health care system. This legislation is patient-focused, with proposed policies that prioritize the physical and mental health care of all of our residents for years to come.”

 

The bill includes reforms across three major areas: 

 

• Prioritizing Primary Care and Behavioral Health 
• Managing Factors that Increase Costs for Families
• Improving Access to High-Quality Care

 

Prioritizing Investments in Primary Care and Behavioral Health 

This legislation increases investment in primary care and behavioral health care through setting a statewide target to address historic underinvestment in these services, particularly for individuals who have been historically underserved.  The proposal sets a system-wide primary care and behavioral health spending target, requiring health care providers and payers to increase expenditures on primary care and behavioral health by 30% over 3 years, with the initial performance period ending in calendar year 2024. This will result in a substantial rebalancing of funds equal to a system-wide investment of approximately $1.4 billion into primary care and behavioral health, and improve front door access to services.

 

• Calendar year 2019 serves as the baseline year that calendar year 2024 spending will be measured against.
• Providers and payers must achieve the target while remaining under the health care cost growth benchmark.
• Recognizing systems have varying baselines and tools to achieve the target, the legislation does not prescribe how payers and providers achieve the target. Payers and providers can achieve the target through strategies such as increased rates to primary care (PC) and behavioral health (BH) providers, expanding PC/BH networks, increasing access to PC/BH through extended hours and additional telehealth services.

 

In addition to increasing behavioral health and primary care investments, this legislation reinforces behavioral health coverage parity requirements, supports workforce development and sustainability, and promotes timely access to emergency behavioral health care.

 

The legislation builds on recent investments in community health centers and establishes a Primary Care and Behavioral Health Equity Trust Fund to provide enhanced funding to primary care and behavioral health providers serving Medicaid members. Approximately 20% of the funds will be earmarked for grants to high public-payer providers in target equity communities. This fund will help increase access to these critical services and level the inequities in our health care system.

 

Managing Factors that Increase Costs for Families

The legislation addresses health care costs through a multi-faceted approach that targets systemic cost drivers and increases affordability for individuals and small businesses.

 

• Surprise billing protections for certain Out of Network (OON) services: This bill establishes a default payment rate of reimbursement that carriers must pay to out-of-network providers for unforeseen OON services, effectively removing the patient from the payment dispute.  
• Increased accountability for drug manufacturers: To address year-over-year increases in pharmacy cost and spending growth, this proposal will: 1) hold high-cost drug manufacturers accountable through similar measures used for high-cost payers and providers; 2) impose penalties on excessive drug price increases; and 3) establish new oversight authority for pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).
• Merged Market Reforms: To ensure individuals and small business owners have access to more affordable insurance coverage options, this legislation implements small group rate review reforms, as well as recommendations from the Merged Market Advisory Council Report to promote adoption and access to high-value, lower-cost health plans.

 

Improved Access to High-Quality, Coordinated Care

This legislation modernizes licensure and scope of practice standards and promotes access to high-quality, coordinated care.

 

• Scope of Practice and licensure standards: Improvements to scope of practice standards and other licensure requirements will strengthen the health care workforce and expand capacity through measures that allow providers to practice at the top of their license and remove barriers to licensure.
• Multistate licensure compact: This legislation authorizes Massachusetts entry into the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (ICLM). The ICLM is an agreement among participating U.S. states to work together to significantly streamline the licensing process for physicians who want to practice in multiple states. It offers a voluntary, expedited pathway to licensure for physicians who qualify.
• Health Care workforce: This bill directs the Center for Health Information Analysis (CHIA) to study the health care workforce in the Commonwealth, including how it is changing over time, the supply of and demand for workers, demographic characteristics of the workforce including race, ethnicity, language, and age, geographic variations, job satisfaction, retention, and turnover, and other issues affecting the Commonwealth’s healthcare workforce.
• Urgent Care: This legislation defines “urgent care services” and requires entities providing urgent care services to be licensed as a clinic and accept MassHealth members.
• Telehealth: To reduce barriers and advance adoption of telehealth, this bill provides increased flexibility for providers delivering telehealth services.  Specifically, this legislation clarifies BORIM policy authorizing providers to render telehealth services without limitation to location or setting, so long as the provider is compliant with federal and state licensing requirements of the state in which the patient is physically located.
• Modernizing data standards and health information exchange: Proposals within this legislation will improve the ability for providers and the health care delivery system more broadly to exchange necessary information to improve patient access and care coordination. 

聯邦緊急租金援助計畫4/15起停止接受新申請

 

Baker-Polito Administration Announces Upcoming Closure of Federal Rental Assistance Programs to New Applications, State Programs Remain Available

DHCD will accept applications for federally funded programs through April 15  Eviction Diversion Initiative continues to offer state-funded RAFT, legal aid, mediation, and other services

BOSTON – Tuesday, March 15, 2022 – Today, the Baker-Polito Administration alerted renters, landlords, regional agencies, and other stakeholders that the Massachusetts housing payment assistance programs funded by federal Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) will stop accepting new applications on or around April 15, 2022.  This decision is based on the remaining balance of available federal funding.  Federally funded programs include the Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP), the Subsidized Housing Emergency Rental Assistance (SHERA) program, and the ERAP-Enhanced HomeBASE program. After April 15, households will still be able to apply for the state-funded Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) program, subject to funding availability. Other existing eviction prevention programming will continue to be available for eligible households.     The Department of Housing and Community Development, in partnership with its network of Regional Administering Agencies, has distributed more than $582 million to approximately 72,000 households since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and anticipates it will use all remaining federal funding for the three ERA programs before the end of the current fiscal year.    Last month, the Baker-Polito Administration filed a FY22 supplemental budget, which includes funding to extend the state RAFT program through the remainder of FY22. The proposal also includes an extension of the Chapter 257 eviction protections until January 1, 2023, which require a continuance or stay in eviction cases if a tenant has an active rental assistance application.    In January, Governor Baker released the Administration’s FY23 budget proposal, which includes a 264 percent increase in RAFT compared to the FY22 budget. This funding represents a four-fold funding increase over pre-pandemic levels and a projected three-fold increase in households served. The proposal also maintains the current maximum RAFT benefit level of up to $7,000 a year per household, which would enable DHCD to serve roughly 15,000 households in FY23. Prior to the pandemic, the RAFT program was a homelessness prevention program with an annual budget of approximately $20 million, which served 5,000 to 6,000 households and provided up to $4,000 a year to low-income households for rent, utilities, and other housing costs.    The Baker-Polito Administration launched the Eviction Diversion Initiative (EDI) in October 2020 in partnership with the Massachusetts Trial Court, community mediation centers, legal aid organizations, and regional agencies with an initial state investment of more than $170 million. The passage of the federal Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) subsequently directed more than $800 million in Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) funding to Massachusetts. With federal ERA dollars, EDI transformed a singular state program (RAFT) into a large-scale disaster relief program, with the ability to process an unprecedented volume of applications and a total rental assistance budget of more than 40 times a normal year.      With the launch of EDI, DHCD established new programs and partnerships, and expanded existing programs, which required significant staffing up and ultimately led to the hiring of nearly 400 people across EDI programs. New programs included a partnership with Mass211 to provide 24-hour phone resources for any person facing a housing crisis, a legal services program to aid low-income tenants and owner-occupant landlords, and funding for community mediation centers to mediate disputes between tenants and landlords.  In March 2021, DHCD launched several additional programs with federal ERA funding, including the ERAP and SHERA programs, to provide up to 18 months of rental assistance to tenants and landlords in order to prevent evictions and preserve housing stability.    Several of the EDI programs continue to be available to support low-income renters and landlords, including legal aid and mediation services. Homeowners in need of financial assistance to avoid foreclosure or displacement may be eligible for the Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF) program if they have income at or below 150 percent AMI. Eligible homeowners include owner-occupants of two to four family properties who are behind on their mortgage payments due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Anyone in need of housing help or advice can still reach out to Mass211, by calling 2-1-1, to get information about available resources and connect with a regional agency.     Earlier this year, DHCD awarded an additional $3.6 million to provide legal services to low-income renters and landlords through the end of 2022. DHCD is contracting with eight legal aid organizations with a focus on preventing evictions. Since the beginning of EDI, legal service organizations have assisted more than 4,500 cases, helping at least 11,000 residents. Funding in 2020 and 2021 also enabled legal aid organizations to recruit more than 100 staff and volunteers to provide expansive legal services for households facing eviction.    Massachusetts has been recognized at the federal level for its eviction diversion efforts and the state has been consistently ranked a high-performing state for its ability to successfully and efficiently distribute emergency rental assistance. The US Treasury called out Massachusetts in public materials for its "promising practices," highlighting the state as an example to other ERA grantees for its Eviction Diversion Initiative, including its partnerships with the courts, legal services, housing mediators, and large landlords/public housing authorities.     Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, DHCD has worked in partnership with the Regional Administering Agencies (RAAs) to implement a variety of key program improvements, including technology upgrades, efforts to reduce paperwork and to streamline the application process, enhanced language access, and targeted outreach to households at risk of eviction in hard-hit communities.     Most recently, DHCD has also: Invested in new technology solutions to streamline and standardize both the application submission process for tenants and landlords, as well as the case management process performed by RAAs.  An online, centralized rental assistance application went live in September 2021, replacing other application submission methods used by each RAA working with DHCD to distribute rental assistance. In addition, throughout spring 2022, DHCD is working to procure case management software to further standardize program administration and case management processes statewide. Completed a 17-week focused, grassroots outreach campaign in partnership with Archipelago Strategies Group (ASG) within 22 communities across the Commonwealth. The campaign included door knocking, a call center for hands-on application support, and a multilingual media campaign. From October 2021 through February 2022, campaign staff and partner organizations knocked on more than 150,000 doors, reached over 35,000 households with information on federal ERA benefits, fielded more than 14,000 phone calls, and submitted nearly 1,200 applications for emergency housing payment assistance (more than half of which are in languages other than English).   Households, individual tenants, or landlords seeking assistance paying rent, utilities, or mortgages, are encouraged to visit www.mass.gov/housinghelp or dial 2-1-1.    About the Department of Housing and Community Development  The Department of Housing and Community Development oversees a diverse portfolio of programming, including affordable housing development, rental assistance programs, the Emergency Assistance Program for eligible homeless families, funding for more than 240 state-aided local housing authorities, and provides tools and funding for municipalities and planning agencies across the state.

AFSCME Council 93支持波士頓市第一選區補選候選人Gabriela Coletta

 Gabriela Coletta endorsed by AFSCME Council 93

BOSTON – Gabriela Coletta, candidate for Boston City Councilor District One, has received the unanimous endorsement of AFSCME Council 93, representing more than 45,000 state, county and municipal employees in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont. Election Day is May 3, 2022.

 In their endorsement, AFSCME Council 93 Boston Presidents' Committee co-chairs Christopher Stockbridge and Dan Moriarty said: 

 The Boston Presidents' Committee is proud to endorse your campaign for Boston City Council. Your advocacy and support for working people will an asset for the men and women who work for the City of Boston. Based on your dedication and commitment to uphold the values we as public employees hold dear; we are proud to support your campaign for Boston City Council and we look forward to working with you as the next District 1 City Councilor.

 In just the first month of her candidacy, Coletta has secured the endorsement of over 70community leaders including various former and current elected officials. For a list of endorsers, please visit gabrielacoletta.com/endorsements.