Massachusetts
June 2025 by
Contributed by Barbara Pearson
State-based SP organizations:
Masscare.org https://www.masscare.org/, and other “hubs” such as Western Mass Medicare for All, Cape Cod Coalition for Universal Healthcare
National SP organizations with significant presence
League of Women Voters LWV-MA; NNU–Mass Nurses; Physicians for a National Health Program MA
One Payer States, League of Women Voters national Health Care Reform network HCR4US (committee)
State-based SP bills
S860/ H1405 A bill to establish Medicare for All in Massachusetts
Standard M4A bill, modeled of the federal House bill of Rep. Jayapal: It establishes a Medical Trust, eliminates private insurance except for services not covered by the Trust; it will be funded with a payroll tax (and tax on investment earnings over $30K); negotiates drug prices, provides hospital budgets. Joint Committee on Health Care Financing last held hearing 6/18/25 with impactful testimony (the hearing and summary by lead co-sponsor Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa can be viewed here: https://malegislature.gov/Events/Hearings/Detail/5210. Several members of the Joint Committee are prominent members of the M4A Legislative Caucus, but the bill has not made it out of committee.
Sponsors Sen. Jamie Eldridge, Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa, Rep. Denise Garlick
82/200 co-sponsors in 2022-3; aiming to get over 100 this session
Obstacles to SP in the current context
Strong biotech council; hospital monopolies; Democratic governor not a M4A supporter (but as Attorney General did successfully prosecute several Private Equity abuses in healthcare); no Republican supporters
Advantages for SP in current context
Strong Dem majority, but some of them can still use more convincing.
Both of our national senators and several of our House Reps were cosponsors of Jayapal’s or Sanders’ 2025 bills.
A history of “leading the country" in healthcare reform (See “Romneycare” as a precursor to the Affordable Care Act.)
Goals for SP movement in CA 2025-2026
Get the bills in the legislature out of committee. Get more co-sponsors.
Work for federal SBUHCA bill (State-based Universal Health Care Act), was H6270 and S4817 in 2023-4. For brief explanation: https://lwvhealthcarereform.org/current-legislation/#state-based. To be re-introduced July 15, 2025.
Shorter-term initiatives
Working to advocate to all reps in state. Have run 68 non-binding ballot questions since 1998, eleven in 2024 with a focus on districts with non-sponsoring legislators. All 68 we successful, average favorable response 67.5%. Now working to turn their representatives to support the bills.
Pushing for municipal & town resolutions (for state bill), following Public Citizen https://www.citizen.org/topic/health-care/
Provide Individual Labor, Business, and Municipal Calculators on the website where people can see the economic effect of M4A on their own circumstances. (at masscare.org (menus under "Organize")
Recruiting more organizations to join the coalition, currently over 100 organizations: https://masscare.org/coalition-members/; Separate recruitment of businesses to officially endorse the Mass-Care campaign.
Contributing research and strategy through public channels to address the crisis, especially the corruption and bankruptcy of the Steward Health System, closing 6 hospitals in eastern MA in 2024. See our 2024 white-paper: https://masscare.org/white-paper/ & https://masscare.org/strategy/
Where can people find news about Single Payer in your state and/or join a group?*
https://www.masscare.org/ (info@masscare.org)
Western Mass Medicare for All https://www.wmmedicareforall.org/