Guest columnist Larry Cervelli: Massachusetts must lead on Medicare for All

Here in western Massachusetts, we pride ourselves on taking care of each other. But right now, too many of our friends and neighbors are suffering — not from a lack of medical care, but from a health insurance system that puts profits ahead of people and just costs too much. Some companies that provide health insurance in Massachusetts plan increases of 10% or more, increasing what many pay for coverage. I really appreciated Cynthia Chamberland’s recent letter in the Gazette supporting the Massachusetts Medicare for All bill, but with the situation in Washington, now we really need this bill passed.

With the U.S. House voting to slash a staggering $1 trillion from the federal health care budget, the stakes couldn’t be higher. This isn’t a minor policy fight — it’s personal. These cutbacks could force our neighbors to skip prescriptions, our elders to choose between food and medicine, and our children to grow up in a system that values profit over people. The reckless legislation in Washington puts lives at risk, especially in rural areas like ours, where access to medical care is already stretched thin.

That’s one reason why I strongly support the Medicare for All bill here in Massachusetts [S.860 and H.1405]. It would guarantee comprehensive health care to everyone with no premiums, deductibles, or co-pays, and reduce health care spending across the state by 30%. That’s not just smart policy — it’s moral leadership. This would make a huge difference for families across our commonwealth who are struggling to afford basic care, for cities and towns and small businesses drowning in insurance costs, and for people struggling with medical debt.

Massachusetts has led before — on education, on marriage equality, and on health care reform. Let’s lead the country again. I urge our legislators to support this bill. And I also urge readers of the Recorder to raise your voices and/or testify at the upcoming hearing of the Joint Committee on Healthcare Financing to support the bill. Or come to the statewide conference organized by Mass-Care to strategize and make this bill a reality — it’s on June 21 at Clark University in Worcester.

Now is our chance to build a fair, humane healthcare system, one that truly cares for all of us, not just those who can pay. And it would save money for everyone, too. With the situation in Washington now and the ever-increasing costs of insurance premiums, we really can’t wait any longer.

Larry Cervelli lives in West Chesterfield.