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6 HE ALTH • Spring 2021 Exceptional Care – For Families and Community. notredame healthcare.org 555-559 Plantation Street • Worcester, MA 01605 508-852-5800 Contact us to learn more about the mission-driven, not-for-profit difference at Notre Dame Health Care. For Family & Community Notre Dame Health Care Exceptional Care – For Families and Community. notredame healthcare.org 555-559 Plantation Street • Worcester, MA 01605 508-852-5800 Contact us to learn more about the mission-driven, not-for-profit difference at Notre Dame Health Care. For Family & Community Notre Dame Health Care Exceptional Care – Families and Community. notredame healthcare.org 555-559 Plantation Street • Worcester, MA 01605 508-852-5800 more about the mission-driven, difference at Notre Dame Health Care. For Family & Community Notre Dame Health Care Contact us to learn more about the mission-driven, not-for-profit difference at Notre Dame Health Care. 555-559 Plantation Street • Worcester, MA 01605 • 508-852-5800 notredamehealthcare.org 695 Main Street, Holden MA 01520 Phone: (508) 829-5566 holdenhearingaid.com/audiologist HAVE YOU EVER HAD A HEARING EVALUATION? Matthew Moreno, Au.D. Doctor of Audiology • Hearing Aids • Batteries & Accessories • Assisted Listening Devises • Amplified Phones • Hearing Evaluations • Wax Removal • Hearing Protection • Musician's Ear Plugs • Swim Plugs Many hearing issues go undetected and that can lead to hearing loss, tinnitus and balance disorders. We offer comprehensive hearing care services including complete hearing evaluations, hearing loss rehabilitation, education and counseling. this time, too. The Massachusetts Medical Society used to oppose it, but chose to be neutral in 2017 and remains so. The Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association doesn't have a formal stance. An opposition group, called Second Thoughts Massachusetts, organized in 2012 to defeat the statewide ballot question and remains opposed to a proposed policy it says discriminates against the disabled – what it calls a "better dead than disabled" mindset, a feeling of shame of having to rely on others. The group has warned against potential elder abuse, misdiagnosis or health insurers who might push for pre-emptive end-of-life choices to save on their medical care costs. Telehealth, vaccines and more State legislators are considering a range of other health-related bills this session, including one aiming to close technological gaps for patients using telehealth and another to encourage vaccine immunization by removing any opt-outs other than religious or medical exemptions. Among other initiatives, the industry group Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association is advocating for bills to extend a community hospital trust fund that's due to expire, and a behavioral health bill to address staffing shortages and delays in providers obtaining needed licenses. Telehealth, or online appointments with health providers, have been a valuable asset for patients to receive services during the pandemic, said Dr. David Rosman, the president of the Massachusetts Medical Society, a group of physicians and those in medical school or training. It has enabled patients who were least likely to access medical care, notably people of color, to catch more appointments because they no longer have to get to a doctor's office in person, he said. Still, telehealth has left some major gaps, with adaptation still in early enough phases that changes should be implemented, Rosman said. They include aid for those without reliable internet connections and those without the technological know-how to sign on to talk with their doctor. "We can sometimes forget that advancements often worsen inequities if we don't fight to make sure it doesn't," Rosman said. A bill filed in February proposes two pilot programs: one supporting services in some communities, including the purchase of internet- connected devices, to help more patients access telehealth, and another putting in place a technological literacy program for older patients or those with limited English abilities. It would also waive insurance co-pays for telehealth visits, something widely put in place during the pandemic on at least a temporary basis and add reimbursement for interpreter services, which pre-pandemic were typically given in-person. The vaccination bill, filed in February, aims at getting more of the public vaccinated, particularly children. It would require any school, college or child care center to enroll students or participants only if they've proven they've been immunized. Any program that doesn't show a high enough compliance rate to have herd immunity would be included in an online list of what it calls elevated- risk programs. Continued from page 5 H Percent who favor a national health plan in which all Americans could get their insurance from a single government plan. Medicare for All support Public support for a national health coverage program, sometimes known as Medicare for All, has increased over time, surpassing 50% in 2016 for the first time. Note: The first three time periods are an average of six, two and seven poll results, respectively. Source: Kaiser Family Foundation 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 1998-2000 2002-2004 2008-2009 February 2016 June 2017 November 2019 October 2020 40% 39% 46% 50% 57% 53% 53%

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