Mass-Care Working and Strategy Conference was a Great Success!

On June 21st more than 100 people gathered at Clark University to attend the Mass-Care Working and Strategy Conference.

There were welcoming remarks from our lead Massachusetts Senate sponsor of the legislation, Senator Jamie Eldridge.

A keynote address was given by former State Representative Dr. Tami Gouveia. She is the current Director of the Center for Innovation in Social Work & Health. Dr. Gouveia talked about how Medicare for All would address enhancing the patient experience, improve our population's health, reduce per capita waste and improve life for the health care providers.

The conference then broke down into 5 sector discussion groups that met for the rest of the morning and again after lunch. The groups were business, labor, healthcare workers, community organizing and elected municipal officials.

Here are some key points from each of the discussion groups.

Business:

The most important benefits of Medicare for All for businesses need to be emphasized, ie saving money, saving time and a happier more stable workforce.

Changing the dialog with business owners that Medicare for All is not a political issue, it is just good business sense.

We will work on engaging “ambassadors” to focus geographically and across the state so that all areas of the state are represented with businesses who endorse the bill.

Develop a statewide webinar which would involve cosponsors of the bill.

Continue efforts to reach business organizations throughout the state with a focus on marginalized communities.

Develop a marketing plan for Medicare for All using social media.

Labor:

Medicare/Medicaid cuts: Demand the state picks-up, from the rainy day funds, whatever Trump and Congress cut from their payment to the state, until the sustainable solution is passed i.e. Medicare for All

Addressing the differences, and approaches, between unions and between workers.

Develop a coordinated campaign of labor.

Restarting discussions with Taft Hartley union funds.

Make more visible (on website) and available to local unions, and workers generally, the costcompariso n sheet for workers between their health insurance now and with the legislation.

Materials and more focus on strike support. Was, also, mentioned that we need to encourage unions to be more public, in their health insurance fights.

Healthcare workers:

Recruit Community Health Centers (already started!).

Encourage health care workers to join Physicians for a National Health Program, as well as Mass-Care.

Events on campuses, especially medical and nursing students.

Do Grand Rounds at hospitals.

Support unions: MNA, CIR, Doctors Council, 1199. What general unions have health care workers?

Recruit health advocates, including Lung Assn. etc.

Recruit VA workers.

Develop a Q & A tool for public marginalized communities.

Speakers for ethnic communities.

Publicize the Private equity effect on healthcare

Leafleting Democratic State Convention on September 13, 2025 in Springfield.

Coordination of Mass-Care events with help of One-Payer States

Community:

When making a plan for organizing communities we have to realize that some communities have done a lot on Medicare for All and others have done nothing.

More demonstrations at insurance companies, politicians, Democratic convention

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