Health Announce: Sept. 2, 2025
Topics for this week’s Health Announce:
- Health Connector webinar tomorrow at noon.
- Volunteer commissioners sought for the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women.
- CVS and Walgreen limit COVID vaccine access in Massachusetts in wake of FDA guidance.
- Upcoming corporate fair share town halls.
- Next HCWG -- – Wednesday, September 24, 2025 at 3 pm.
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Happy 1st day of school! Or, Happy 4th or 6th day of school! Which is it? There is no one universal start day for the new school year. Across Massachusetts, some public schools started as early as August 25, but everyone is back in school after Labor Day. Reasons for choosing the start date vary: some teacher contracts set a “no earlier than” date; some schools are in areas that might need a lot of snow days, so they leave room in June to add extra days; some schools are in communities reliant on tourism, and the Labor Day weekend is important to the economy. Even if your or your family’s schedule isn’t dictated by the school calendar anymore, it’s never a bad idea to get new school supplies and organizer for the new semester!
Be well,
Health Law Unit
Massachusetts Law Reform Institute
1. Health Connector webinar tomorrow at noon.
As reported in last week’s Health Announce, ConnectorCare Plan Type 1 will end in January 2026. Current Health Connector members have started receiving preliminary eligibility determination notices about 2026. The Health Connector is offering an online webinar tomorrow, September 3, 2025, from 12-1 pm for current members about the notices. Members can register here for Preliminary Eligibility: What does it mean and what do you need to do?
Reminder – MLRI has prepared a fact sheet, CC Plan Type 1 Fact Sheet, to assist advocates in finding coverage options for at least some of the people losing ConnectorCare in 2026.
2. Volunteer commissioners sought for the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women.
The Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women, an independent state agency, reviews the status of women and girls in Massachusetts and offers policy recommendations aimed at improving access to opportunities and equality for all. There are 19 volunteer commissioners who serve staggered three-year terms and work to promote women’s full and equal participation in economics, health care, civil rights, education, and business development by advising on and endorsing legislation, educating stakeholders, and recommending qualified women for appointed offices.
Six of the 19 commissioners are appointed by the Massachusetts Caucus of Women Legislators, which is currently seeking applicants to serve on the commission. Applications will be accepted until Monday, September 15, 2025 at 5 pm; interested women can send a resume and letter of intent to Seble Alemu, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Caucus of Women Legislators, at seble.alemu@malegislature.gov. Commissioner expectations can be found here.
3. CVS and Walgreen limit COVID vaccine access in Massachusetts in wake of FDA guidance.
On August 27, 2025, the Food and Drug administration imposed new restrictions on eligibility for the next round of Covid vaccines. While on the one hand approving Moderna’s mRNA vaccine for individuals 6 months and older and Pfizer-BioNTech’s mRNA vaccine for those over 5 years, with the other hand, the FDA significantly restricted people’s access to the vaccine by limiting access to individuals 65 and older or to younger individuals who also have certain medical conditions. All others will have to get a prescription from their medical provider in order to get the Covid vaccine.
Because of this new FDA guidance, CVS and Walgreens are no longer offering COVID vaccines on demand in Massachusetts, as well as in 15 other states and Washington DC. Notably, even people with prescriptions who are not over 65 or under with a qualifying health condition cannot get the Covid vaccine at a CVS or Walgreens pharmacy in Massachusetts. State regulations do not permit pharmacies to vaccinate a person even with a prescription for the vaccine: the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Policy 2023-02 on Vaccine Administration permits pharmacy personnel to administer “authorized vaccines that have been recommended for routine use by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).” Currently, the ACIP is not scheduled to meet for another three weeks, with an entirely new composition of members, as Secretary RFK, Jr., removed all 17 prior members of ACIP on June 9, 2025.
CVS Minute Clinics, which are subject to different regulation, are still offering Covid shots.
4. Upcoming corporate fair share town halls.
You are invited to attend an upcoming PROTECT OUR CARE TOWN HALL: STOP THE CUTS WITH CORPORATE FAIR SHARE to learn more about how Massachusetts can tap the state's rainy day fund and pass our Mass. Corporate Fair Share legislation to raise more than $1.5 Billion to stop the devastating federal cuts to healthcare, food assistance, education, and other critical services in the Commonwealth. Thanks to SEIU and Field First, there are a series of Town Halls around the state - in September and October - to raise awareness of the federal cuts and call for additional funding to fill the gap. (Currently 8 town halls as of August 21st and more to come). Please register in advance!
Please join with MLRI and sister organizations to protect our care by 1) tapping the state’s $8 billion rainy day fund and 2) making billionaire tax-dodging global corporations like Apple, Amazon, McDonald's, and Walmart pay their fair share in state taxes. Over 300,000 Massachusetts residents are expected to lose health care, food assistance and education benefits due to the GOP’s harmful Megabill, the 2025 Reconciliation Act. Help us protect our care!
5. Next HCWG – Wednesday, September 24, 2025 at 3 pm.
Our next Health Care Working Group meeting will be Wednesday, September 24, 3:00 - 4:30 pm. Please email Jkaplan@mlri.org or ksymmonds@mlri.org if you would like to add anything to the agenda.