Recently, the Group Insurance Commission voted to narrow health insurance carriers for public employees. I share the concerns and frustrations of so many across the Commonwealth and am opposed to this plan and the way it was presented.

The GIC will be holding a meeting next week to reconsider their most recent vote to limit health care offerings. This stems from the large volume of candid feedback from members and stakeholders, and I have registered my opposition as well. I have included an article below from the State House News Service about next week’s meeting and will continue to monitor this issue as news develops.
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GIC TO RECONSIDER HEALTH PLAN CONSOLIDATION

STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

BOSTON, JAN. 25, 2018…..The Group Insurance Commission, relenting to days of withering criticism over its decision to limit health plan offerings to nearly 450,000 state employees and retirees, plans to reconsider that plan when it meets next week.

The GIC has a meeting scheduled for next Thursday when it was supposed to consider benefit design within the three providers — UniCare, Neighborhood Health and Health New England — that were selected to sell plans through the agency after a procurement process.

The agency now says it will put a motion for reconsideration of the 8-5 vote held Jan. 18 on its agenda for the Feb. 1 meeting.

“As a result of candid feedback from members and stakeholders, the agenda of the next GIC Commission meeting on Thursday, February 1 will include a motion for reconsideration of the recent vote to narrow carriers. While the goal of the GIC action to narrow options was to provide members with continuous coverage in a comparable plan while retaining their networks and doctors, and simultaneously controlling out-of-pocket and premium costs, the GIC recognizes that there is opportunity to better engage stakeholders more directly and robustly in the strategic process moving forward,” GIC Chief of Staff Ashley Maagero Lee said in a statement Thursday morning.

The GIC said that if the motion to reconsider is successful, a second vote will be put on the table to “accept the full list of finalists to the platform,” which would bring Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Tufts Health Plan and Fallon Community Health back into the fold.

The reinstatement of those three Massachusetts-based insurers would prevent roughly 200,000 people from having to choose a new insurance plan, although the GIC has insisted that even with a switch those people would not have lost access to their doctors or networks.

The reversal also removes the possibility that those insurers may have had to resort to layoffs after losing a significant piece of their business.

National Association of Government Employees President David Holway issued a statement Thursday in response to the announcement thanking the five labor representatives on the GIC and many lawmakers — include House Speaker Robert DeLeo, Acting Senate President Harriette Chandler, House Majority Leader Ron Mariano, Rep. James O’Day, Sen. Cindy Friedman and Sen. Karen Spilka — for speaking out against the changes.

“It is obvious that the Governor heard the footsteps of hundreds of thousands of those effected (sic) by this ill-conceived and non-transparent plan marching to the polls to express their anger towards the Baker administration,” Holway said in the statement.

The NAGE president, however, cautioned, “This reprieve, if voted on, could possibly only be temporary until the Governors re-election bid in November.”

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Winter weather is here, bringing snow and frigid temperatures that can take a toll on our trains. As temperatures continue to fall, mechanical teams may need to take preventative measures, which may include idling. The MBTA and Keolis are working vigilantly to make sure that our train service operates smoothly and efficiently.

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BAKER-POLITO ADMINISTRATION PREPARED FOR WINTER WEATHER

MBTA invested $101 million in winter resiliency since winter 2015

SOMERVILLE – With the winter weather season beginning, Governor Charlie Baker today joined Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver, MBTA General Manager Luis Manuel Ramírez, Keolis CEO and General Manager David Scorey, and Massport CEO Thomas P. Glynn at a news conference in Somerville to highlight resiliency and preparedness during winter weather.

“Our Administration has continued to focus on increasing the resiliency of our transportation system during winter weather events and promoting safe and reliable travel,” said Governor Baker. “By investing over $100 million in the MBTA, implementing new technologies and working collaboratively to optimize snow and ice protocols and operations on our roads, we can better ensure the safety of everyone in Massachusetts during winter storms.”

“Our MassDOT and MBTA crews have worked hard to prepare for winter and are ready to continue coordinating with our private sector and municipal partners,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “Before, during, and after snow and ice storms, our personnel work closely with cities and towns to treat our roadways, clear bus stops and subway stations, ensure reliable public transit, and help people safely get to wherever they need to go as conditions allow.”

Since the winter of 2015, the MBTA has upgraded track and signal infrastructure, invested in snow-fighting equipment, and stocked up on replacement parts for vehicles, making more than $101 million in investments in winter resiliency. MassDOT expects to have approximately 335,000 tons of salt stored at locations across Massachusetts, along with 850,000 gallons of Magnesium Chloride and 120,000 gallons of salt brine which is used to pretreat the roadway and activate salt.

MassDOT will also deploy 400 new GPS units on snow and ice equipment after successfully deploying 200 GPS units in a pilot program last year. These 600 total GPS units, combined with MassDOT’s mapping capabilities, provide better data and analytics to ensure crews are optimizing operations and efficiently addressing roadways with the appropriate amount of material.

“Winter is here and we are prepared,” said Transportation Secretary and CEO Stephanie Pollack.  “MassDOT snow and ice response crews have been busy preparing equipment, stockpiling material, and training other personnel who will help treat our roadways.  Members of the public can do their part to get ready for storms by checking out the many technology tools and resources we have available which provide information on conditions. They should also plan ahead by putting supplies in automobiles or in homes which would prove useful in severe conditions, including flashlights, warm blankets or canned goods.”

“With more than $101 million invested in winter preparedness over the past two years, the MBTA is continuing its efforts to make its vehicles, equipment, and infrastructure more resilient,” said MBTA General Manager Ramírez. “We’re also committed to staying as connected as possible with our customers and encourage our riders to subscribe to T-Alerts, follow @MBTA and @MBTA_CR on Twitter, and check the MBTA website for service information at all times, but especially during the winter season.”

In the worst storms this season, MassDOT’s Highway Division will be able to utilize up to 700 staff members to perform snow and ice removal operations on more than 15,000 lanes miles of roadway throughout the Commonwealth. This snow and ice season, MassDOT will have approximately 4,200 pieces of state and vendor equipment available using over 150 depots and storage locations. This includes over 1,300 plow and spreader combos, 2,100 plows, and 460 front-end loaders.

“The MassDOT Highway Division snow and ice team has spent several months preparing for winter weather and our crews are ready to respond as conditions necessitate,” said Highway Administrator Gulliver. “We encourage people across Massachusetts to prepare by following our social media accounts, visiting our online snow and ice resources, and becoming familiar with the tools that will help them make informed decisions on whether or not to travel during winter weather.”

“In partnership with the MBTA, we invested in training, more personnel and additional equipment to enhance the snow-fighting and winter weather capabilities of commuter rail,” said Keolis General Manager Scorey. “Ahead of snow or freezing conditions, we will have key team members pre-positioned to reduce the impact on service as much as possible. Customers are encouraged to stay connected with our Passenger Information Center in the event of severe weather to receive real-time updates on scheduled service.”

“Our staff is ready to tackle another Boston winter here at Logan Airport but it’s important to remember that winter weather in other parts of the country can have significant impacts on air travel in Boston,” said Massport CEO Glynn. “We always encourage our passengers to check with their airline for the most up to date information on their flight before heading to the airport.”

Last winter, the Boston area saw forty-two inches of snow with the MBTA’s Storm Desk activated seven times and the MBTA’s Emergency Operations Center activated five times. There were no shutdowns or closures in MBTA service with snow-fighting equipment deployed and staffing levels of the Storm Desk increased as needed. Working closely with the MBTA, the Keolis Incident Command Center and Situation Room were activated during these storms as well.

Specifically, on commuter rail, Keolis and the MBTA focused over the past two years on adding winter resources and improving infrastructure resiliency in winter weather. For example, switch function is improved as a result of additional propane heaters and covers. This improvement helps to reduce the risk of switch failure due to ice and snow accumulations. Further, two additional utility track vehicles were outfitted with plows and other winter assets to expand the fleet of snow fighting equipment.

For more information on conditions and impacts during winter weather, members of the public are advised to:

• Visit mass511.com to view travel times, road construction, traffic alerts or crashes along a route. Incidents, road closures, lane closures, real-time live traffic cameras, and weather alerts/forecasts, can all be viewed on the interactive live Traffic Map
• Visit www.mbta.com for information on transit impacts during winter weather events
• Sign up for T-Alerts
• Download Transit, the MBTA-endorsed app
• Download the MBTA Commuter Rail app
• Download MassDOT’s GoTime mobile app and view real-time traffic conditions before setting out on the road.
• Dial 511 from a landline or cell phone to hear information on current conditions on major roadways.
• Register for a Mass511 account to create and personalize routes and alerts to be notified of events on those routes ahead of time.
• Follow @MassDOT, @MassRMV, @MBTA, @MBTA_CR, and @BostonLogan on Twitter
• View safe winter driving tips
• Check MassDOT Highway Traffic and Travel Resources.
• Call MBTA Customer Service at 617-222-3200
• Check with your airline on your flight status before leaving for the airport
• Check and see if your airline has an app; these can provide helpful real-time alerts and tips throughout your journey

http://vp.telvue.com/player?id=T02953&video=325019

Thank you to all who came out for this important discussion. For those who were unable to attend, I hope you will click the link above to watch. Thank you.

 

 

 

IMPORTANT! DATE CHANGE for the upcoming “Right Information…The Right Time” from November 13, 2017 to Monday, November 20, 2017. Same time – 7:00 pm-9:00 pm, Powers Hall.

Dear Needham Neighbors,

Dear Friends and Neighbors in Needham, Dover and Medfield,

I am writing to you because I want you to know what is in my head, heart and actions in this most difficult time.

I have always wanted to believe in the inherent good in people, but this past weekend, when I saw individuals bearing torches, dressed in KKK regalia, carrying white supremacist shields, flanked by individuals equipped with long guns and a car driven by a person with the goal of mayhem and murder in the streets of my country, I knew that I was witnessing evil.

It is an evil that sabotages the values of my country, that harms my community, and that causes pain in my family and in me.

I am anguishing over the many emotions I feel: anger, anxiety, confusion and outrage.

I am struggling to find the ways that I can fight this evil because I cannot and will not accept it. I believe in the truth of the words of Edmund Burke, “the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men (people) to do nothing.”

I want to ensure that you know there is no ambiguity in my reaction to recent events or in my sense of responsibility as an elected individual to be committed to do what I can, and feel I must, to fight this evil.  

As your State Representative, this morning, I joined with Speaker DeLeo, Senate President Rosenberg and Governor Baker by signing and bearing witness to the resolution that follows below which will be delivered to the Mayor of Charlottesville, the Governor of Virginia, and the President of the United States.

As a member of our community, I am dedicated and re-dedicate myself to the work of concerned individuals and groups including the Needham Diversity Initiative, the Human Rights Committee, the Interfaith Clergy and the Human Rights statement of the Board of Selectmen, and I will promote and support the Human Rights Speakers Series in Needham this fall.

In my personal relationships, I will strive to more deeply understand the pain and harmful impacts of hatred on individuals based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation or disability. I will stand in solidarity and support with them. I will engage anyone who explicitly or implicitly acts as if any person is not deserving of respect.

I will hold my anguish and not dismiss it for a more comfortable feeling.

I will hold my family, my community, and my country in love.