Health Announce: Jan. 27, 2025

  -- Drown Your Bug and Persist --

Keep Calm and Carry On was created by the British government in preparation of the start of World War II. The motivational slogan did not last long: the poster campaign was cancelled within months. Sixty years later, posters with the phrase were rediscovered, copied and marketed, and sold widely. Though the expression is often associated with the “stiff upper lip” of British stoicism, it was “transcreated” into other languages and cultures in 2012 for the Olympics in London:

  • In Dutch: Keep Calm and Persist
  • In Polish: Drown Your Bug and Carry On [bug being sorrows]
  • In Japanese: Don’t Panic, Don’t Fuss, Don’t Be Flustered

Some version of "Keep Calm and Carry On" has been my mantra of late, with my personal twist on its significance. When the news, coupled with my worries, threaten to overwhelm, I focus on calming activities (for me, walks outside or grabbing a cup of tea with a friend). And then I focus on carrying on: the work we do is important and can make a difference in people’s lives. The key word in that phrase is “and” – both are necessary. The rest and the work.

Topics for this week’s Health Announce:

  1. Budget Resource: MLRI’s preliminary analysis of Governor Healey’s proposed budget.
  2. Rally to Protect Our Immigrant Communities this Wednesday, January 29 at noon!
  3. Resources on emergency planning for families with uncertain immigration status.
  4. Just over a week until MLRI’s Health Care Access Program on February 4, 2025.


Be well,

Jennifer Hotchkiss Kaplan
Senior Health Law Attorney

Massachusetts Law Reform Institute

 

1. Budget Resource: MLRI’s preliminary analysis of Governor Healey’s proposed budget.

Last week, Governor Healey filed House 1, her proposed budget for fiscal year 2026 (FY 26). The team at MLRI poured over the document and produced The Governor’s FY 2026 Budget Proposal: Preliminary Analysis of Key Issues Affecting Low-Income Massachusetts Residents. The five topic areas covered are:

  • Cash Assistance, SNAP and Related Items Administered by DTA
  • Health Issues in MassHealth and ConnectorCare
  • Homeless Services
  • Housing
  • Legal Services

Please feel free to share this link with other advocates or anyone else interested in learning how programs that help low-income individuals and families will be impacted by the proposed FY 26 budget.

2. Rally to Protect Our Immigrant Communities this Wednesday, January 29 at noon!

This Wednesday, January 29, 2025 at 12 pm at the front steps of the Massachusetts State House, the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refuge Advocacy Coalition (MIRA) is launching the “Protect Our Immigrant Communities” campaign. Together with state lawmakers and fellow advocates, MIRA will highlight the necessary steps the Commonwealth must take to defend immigrants from new and developing, harmful federal policies. Information about the rally is available here.

3. Resources on emergency planning for families with uncertain immigration status.

For immigrant families of uncertain immigration status, new resources are available to help with planning for an emergency, specifically for the care and custody of their children. The Attorney General’s office has put out “Emergency Planning Guide for Families.” It is available in Portuguese, Haitian Creole, and Spanish. The guide provides links to legal forms, such as Caregiver Authorization Affidavits and Temporary Agent Authorization forms, that can be filled out in advance and be ready if needed.

MLRI, in collaboration with legal services partners, has released a “Know Your Rights & Family Preparedness” article and video. This resource can help answer questions and also provides links to helpful forms, many of which are available in several languages.

4. Just over a week until MLRI’s Health Care Access Program on February 4, 2025.

The MCLE training, MLRI: Health Care Access Programs, is next week, Tuesday, February 4, 2025, from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm. The program, offered in person and via live webcast, covers MassHealth and other subsidized health programs available to individuals under 65 years old residing in Massachusetts, from eligibility to application and enrollment. Lower fees are available for legal services attorneys and nonlawyer advocates, as found under “Pricing.”