人生一定要有的八個朋友：
推手(Builder)、
支柱(Champion)、
同好(Collaborator)、
夥伴(Companion)、
中介(Connector)、
開心果(Energizer)、
開路者(Mind Opener)、
導師(Navigator)。
chutze@bostonorange.com
*******************
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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.
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 andsmall 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.
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/housinghelpor 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.
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.
Trillium pop-ups in March and April will kick off another season of
sipping locally on The Greenway!
March 14, 2022 – Boston, MA – The Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy today announced the opening dates for our 2022 open-air beer and wine gardens.
“It’s a true sign of spring when our beer and wine gardens open back up on The Greenway,” said Keelin Caldwell, Director of Programs and Community Outreach at the Greenway Conservancy. “We invite everyone to celebrate warmer weather and the lifting pandemic restrictions by enjoying a drink on the beautiful Greenway.”
Trillium Garden on The Greenway
We are delighted to announce that Trillium Brewing Company will be hosting two weekend pop-ups ahead of their regular season on The Greenway. Mark your calendars for St. Patrick’s Day Weekend where Trillium Garden will be open 12p to 7p from Friday, March 18, to Sunday, March 20, and for Boston Marathon Weekend from 12p to 7p from Saturday, April 16, to Monday, April 18!
Trillium Garden on The Greenway will fully open for a sixth season on Thursday, April 21, operating at the corner of High Street and Atlantic Avenue, across from Rowes Wharf. Regular operating hours will be Thursday through Sunday from 12p to 7p. As hours are updated throughout the season, you can find the latest details on our website calendar or the Trillium Brewing Company website.
Trillium’s drink offerings will be paired with some of our incredible partners from our 2022 Food Truck Program. At Trillium Garden on The Greenway, you’ll find Burgundian on Thursdays, Revelry on Fridays, Dining Car on Saturdays, and Pennypackers on Sundays throughout the season!
"Every year, we re-open Trillium Garden on The Greenway excited to invite our guests and friends to one of the most beautiful spots in the city to enjoy a beer," said Ryan Shocklee, Vice President of Operations for Trillium Brewing Company. "The Greenway has become a destination spot for locals and visitors to enjoy and we couldn't be more proud to be a part of it.”
City Winery on The Greenway
City Winery on The Greenway will fully open for the season on Wednesday, May 4, located on Dewey Square across from South Station. The regular hours of operation are Wednesday 4p to 9p, Friday 4p to 10p, Saturday 1p to 9p, and Sunday 11a to 7p. City Winery will also be open on Thursdays from 4p to 9p in May and September.
City Winery will be serving their locally crafted wine on tap, including a variety of reds, whites, and rosé, as well as a selection of local craft beers and cider. There will also be a menu of fresh wraps, cheese boards, and snacks to complement the wine garden experience.
“City Winery can’t wait to welcome Bostonians and visitors back to our beautiful, open-air wine garden on The Greenway,” said Michael Dorf, Founder and CEO for City Winery. “Come raise a glass of our award-winning wine in this amazing park setting.”
Boston Calling Block Parties
The Greenway Conservancy will again host the Boston Calling Block Party Series,returning to Dewey Square on The Greenway every Thursday evening from 5p to 8p, beginning Thursday, June 9, and runningthroughAugust 11.These free outdoor weekly parties take place in the heart of the city, giving Bostonians the chance to get outside and enjoy live music paired with several beer selections.
In addition to great local music artists, attendees will be able to play various lawn games such as bean bag toss and kick back to enjoy a beverage in an Adirondack chair. Boston Calling’s Block Party Series is presented by Miller Lite. Each party will have refreshments available for purchase; fans must be 21+ to enter.
Bring your department, company, or party to the beautiful Greenway and leave the workday behind by reserving the Dewey Garden Room, our private party space for groups at the Boston Calling Block Parties. If you are interested in reserving the space for an event or company outing, please fill out this form.
Christoph Franz as Chairman of the Roche Board of Directors and all other Board members standing for re-election approved; Jemilah Mahmood elected as a new member of the Board of Directors
35th Consecutive dividend increase to CHF 9.30 per share
Basel, 15 March 2022 – Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) today announced that its shareholders approved all proposals of the Board of Directors at its ordinary Annual General Meeting (AGM). Owing to the ongoing high infection rates, the AGM was held with only representatives of Roche Holding Ltd and those persons required by the Articles of Incorporation in attendance and with no shareholders physically present. The AGM was broadcast live on the Internet. Roche shareholders were able to exercise their rights via written or electronically submitted instructions to the independent proxy, Testaris AG. The independent proxy represented 77.25% of the total of 106,691,000 shares. The Management Report, the Financial Statements and the Consolidated Financial Statements for 2021 were approved.
Christoph Franz was confirmed as Chairman of the Board of Directors with 98.91% of the votes. He addressed shareholders in a speech published online today:
"In 2021, in which we celebrated our 125th anniversary, we have once again been able to develop and manufacture innovative diagnostics and therapies against serious illnesses and, in particular, against COVID-19, and make them accessible to the world. Despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, 2021 was a good year for Roche. This enables us to raise the dividend for the 35th consecutive time to 9.30 Swiss francs per share. We are proud of the contributions that our Diagnostics and Pharmaceuticals Divisions have made to combating the pandemic. At the same time, we have been able to make great progress in our product pipeline across several areas, including oncology, vision loss and neurological diseases."
Shareholders endorsed the total amount of bonuses paid to the Corporate Executive Committee for 2021 with 98.53% of the votes, as well as the total amount of bonuses paid to the Chairman of the Board of Directors for 2021, which was approved by 98.54% of the votes. Furthermore, shareholders authorised the ratification of the Board of Directors’ actions.
Shareholders approved the proposed appropriation of available earnings with 99.93% of the votes. They also approved an increase in the dividend for the past financial year from 9.10 to 9.30 Swiss francs (gross) per share and non-voting equity security. This is the 35th consecutive dividend increase.
In addition to Dr Christoph Franz, all other Board members who stood for re-election were confirmed for a term of one year:
●André Hoffmann ●Julie Brown ●DrJörgDuschmalé ●Dr Patrick Frost ●Anita Hauser ●Professor Dr Richard P. Lifton ●Bernard Poussot ●DrSeverin Schwan ●Dr Claudia SüssmuthDyckerhoff
Professor DrJemilah Mahmood was elected as a new member of the Board of Directors for a term of one year.
The following Board members were re-elected to the Remuneration Committee for a term of one year:
●Dr Christoph Franz ●André Hoffmann ●Professor Dr Richard P. Lifton ●Bernard Poussot
Dr Patrick Frost was elected as a new member of the Remuneration Committee for a term of one year.
Shareholders also approved the maximum total amount of future remuneration of the Board of Directors, which was confirmed by 98.59% of the votes, and the maximum total amount of future remuneration for the Corporate Executive Committee until the 2023 ordinary Annual General Meeting by 98.50% of the votes.
The Meeting elected Testaris AG as independent proxy for the 2022 financial year until the conclusion of the 2023 ordinary Annual General Meeting and KPMG AG as external auditor for the financial year 2022.
BOSTON CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE GABRIELA COLETTA RELEASES ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CLIMATE CHANGE PLATFORM
BOSTON – Gabriela Coletta, Boston City Council candidate and East Boston resident, released a comprehensive environmental justice and climate change platform with recommendations for a community-led municipal harbor planning process for the waterfront, expanding the tree canopy, better air quality, clean energy, and public utility oversight.
Excerpted:
District One faces unique challenges as each neighborhood is a coastal community bearing a significant burden of intentional and generational environmental injustices. Regardless of race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status, you should have the opportunity to participate in decisions about the things that affect your health and environment.
Due to compounding social determinants of health, our communities were uniquely vulnerable to an insidious respiratory illness that spreads at close contact. We have breathed in jet fuel’s ultrafine particulates for generations and have harmed our respiratory and cardiovascular systems ... As City Councilor, I will always approach everything I do with an environmental justice lens to protect the collective health and wellness of my community and my neighbors.
The City of Boston should work to ensure new construction has elevated utilities and partner with public and private entities to build clean energy “microgrids” for backup power. Delivering power over a central grid is inefficient as up to almost 15% is lost during transit. A microgrid allows for the generation of power closer to those it will be dispersed. Community organizations are already doing incredible work to create these self-sufficient energy systems that produce power through various kinds of renewable energy sources like solar, wind, combined heat and power, and generations. They are also able to contain energy through battery storage systems that can be stored and utilized when customers need it the most.
We should implement solar, wind, hydropower renewable energies wherever possible. Let’s explore expanding community-based solarized programs by allowing renters to buy into and earn those credits despite not owning property. Boston should also look to utilize city-owned land for more solar farms and use our collective buying power to get discounted rates.
Gabriela’s recommendations include a community-led holistic approach for waterfront planning, utilizing contemporary resilience strategies seen around the world, ensuring inclusivity for all residents, increasing tree canopies, expanding the City’s youth green jobs program, ensuring local organizations have a seat at the table and holding Massport accountable as a good neighbor to district one.
In addition to environmental justice and resiliency, Gabriela’s top priorities include ensuring pathways to homeownership for all residents, quality public schools for local families, ensuring residents have excellent constituent services, and innovative transportation solutions to mitigate traffic and parking issues.
To see Gabriela’s full environmental justice and climate change platform and other issue stances, please visit: www.gabrielacoletta.com/vision.
