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By ALISON KUZNITZ

Fewer people who gave birth in 2022 received adequate prenatal care compared to the prior year, and more Massachusetts residents used fertility treatment, according to a new report from the Department of Public Health.DPH’s look-back into the 68,579...

By ALISON KUZNITZ

State officials are preparing for the rollout of expanded maternal health care services in 2025, stemming from a new law and recommendations they issued last year.Public health officials said the bevy of reforms were fueled by the controversial...

By ALISON KUZNITZ

Thousands of older Bay Staters could lose access to home care services this spring or see support scaled back due to looming funding shortfalls totaling millions of dollars, elder advocates and providers say.Elder services organizations are urging...

By ALISON KUZNITZ

BOSTON — MassHealth recently expanded access to its doula services program, and regulatory changes that state officials made on an emergency basis yielded scant public feedback Monday.During a roughly 10-minute hearing, only a state health official...

By ALISON KUZNITZ

BOSTON — U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, joined by a cohort of Massachusetts health leaders, declared Tuesday he will vote against confirming Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the next U.S. Department of Health and Human Services secretary, saying Americans need a leader...

By ALISON KUZNITZ

BOSTON — Tobacco and nicotine products would eventually become banned in Massachusetts, under a regulatory trajectory that a trio of lawmakers hope will become law next session.Sen. Jason Lewis and Reps. Tommy Vitolo and Kate Lipper-Garabedian...

By ALISON KUZNITZ

BOSTON — Attorney General Andrea Campbell, readying her office and Massachusetts for potential threats posed by Donald Trump’s win, told health regulators last Thursday she’s concerned about preserving access to reproductive and gender-affirming...

By ALISON KUZNITZ

BOSTON – In her first public remarks since Vice President Kamala Harris lost the presidential election, Gov. Maura Healey on Wednesday said she will support a peaceful transfer of power and acknowledged that voters across Massachusetts and the country...

By ALISON KUZNITZ

At their first meeting last week, members of a new state panel tasked with combating the scourge of antisemitism in Massachusetts outlined priority issues, as well as the vitriol they have personally experienced over the past year.The commission,...

By ALISON KUZNITZ

BOSTON – Low-income families in Massachusetts are in store for significant natural gas and electric bill discounts through a new state partnership with utility companies, Gov. Maura Healey’s office announced Wednesday.Bay Staters enrolled in SNAP...

By ALISON KUZNITZ

With the higher education landscape shifting due to investments in free community college and financial aid, Massachusetts officials are honing in on quality and affordability concerns, infrastructure, and transfer credits through new...

By ALISON KUZNITZ

BOSTON — State housing officials kicked off outreach efforts on accessory dwelling units to municipal leaders Wednesday, as they prepare for zoning changes embedded in the Affordable Homes Act to take effect in February.Staff from the Executive Office...

By ALISON KUZNITZ

BOSTON — Three years after the state launched a registry of providers found to have abused individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, some advocates warn that too many workers are slipping through the cracks and staying employed in...

By ALISON KUZNITZ

Massachusetts is about to get a new law to shield firefighters from toxic chemicals in their protective equipment and eventually phase out the use of PFAS that’s been linked to cancer.Gov. Maura Healey announced Wednesday that she planned to sign...

By ALISON KUZNITZ

BOSTON – Pregnant people and those who recently gave birth could gain access to expanded care options in Massachusetts under compromise maternal health legislation that awaits Gov. Maura Healey’s approval.The House and Senate had passed largely...

By ALISON KUZNITZ

BOSTON — Gov. Maura Healey said Monday she would oppose gun owners’ potential effort to suspend a new firearm safety law as part of their longer-term strategy to repeal the legislation through a ballot question in 2026.The governor has the authority...

By ALISON KUZNITZ

More teenagers could be prosecuted in the juvenile court system under a policy that senators tacked onto their sweeping $2.86 billion economic development bill during deliberations Thursday.Senators unanimously engrossed the sprawling package (S...

By ALISON KUZNITZ

BOSTON — Massachusetts drivers could be banned from FaceTiming their friends and livestreaming onto social media platforms while they’re on the road under legislation the House quietly passed last week.Lawmakers approved a distracting driving bill (H...

By ALISON KUZNITZ

BOSTON — The House chair of the Elder Affairs Committee lambasted the Senate’s monthslong delay in taking up a long-term care reform bill this week, but his Senate co-chair later expressed optimism about the legislation reaching Gov. Maura Healey’s...

By ALISON KUZNITZ

BOSTON — Health officials urged Bay Staters last week to use bug spray outdoors this summer, after mosquito samples tested positive for two viruses.The Department of Public Health said the Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus was detected in...

By ALISON KUZNITZ

BOSTON — Some Massachusetts patients seeking physical and behavioral health care services could receive treatment in the form of arts and culture activities under a new model being embraced by state officials.The Massachusetts Cultural Council, the...