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THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2021 Page 13 Beacon Hill Roll Call By Bob Katzen A note from Bob Katzen, Publisher of Beacon Hill Roll Call: My guest on Sunday, January 24 on my WMEX 1510 AM Radio and online show will be Jordan Rich, beloved WBZ Boston radio personality, national voice-over artist, mobile disc jockey, emcee, philanthropist, all-around good guy and a mensch, to boot. He is also wellknown for his support and work on behalf of many charities. Jordan will talk about his new book “ON AIR: My 50-Year Love Aff air with Radio.” Jordan currently hosts a podcast at www.jordanrich.com and is co-owner with Ken Carberry of Chart Productions, an iconic Boston-based audio-video production company. His book is available on Amazon. All proceeds from the sales of the book benefi t Boston Children’s Hospital—one of Jordan’s favorite charities. There are many ways you can listen to the show from anywhere in the world: If you have a smart speaker, simply say, “Play WMEX on RADIO.COM” Download the free RADIO.COM app on your phone or tablet Listen online at: www.radio. com/1510wmex/listen Tune into 1510 AM if you still have an AM radio Visit us at www.bobkatzenshow. com THE HOUSE AND SENATE: There were no roll call votes in the House or Senate last week. This week, Beacon Hill Roll Call reports local representatives’ roll call attendance records for the 2020 session. The House held 332 roll calls in 2020. Beacon Hill Roll Call tabulates the number of roll calls on which each representative was present and voting and then calculates that number as a percentage of the total roll call votes held. That percentage is the number referred to as the roll call attendance record. The fi rst 22 roll calls from January to March were held as usual in the House chamber. The other 310 roll calls were held after COVID-19 hit and most legislators voted remotely from their homes. In the House, 66.6 percent (106 representatives out of 159) did not miss any roll calls and have 100 percent roll call attendance records. Thirty-four percent (53 representatives out of 159) have missed one or more roll calls. The representative who missed the most roll calls is former Rep. Angelo Scaccia (D-Boston) who missed 114, resulting in a 65.6 percent attendance record. Scaccia could not be reached for comment but sources tell Beacon Hill Roll Call that Scaccia missed many roll calls because he was devoting his time to his wife who had been ill for several months and eventually passed away. Rounding out the top fi ve representatives who have missed the most roll calls are former Reps. Jose Tosado (D-Springfi eld) who missed 73 roll calls (78.0 percent attendance record); Randy Hunt (R-Sandwich) who missed 54 roll calls (83.7 percent attendance record); Tom Petrolati (D-Ludlow) who missed 51 roll calls (84.6 percent roll call attendance record); and Hank Naughton (D-Worcester) who missed 25 roll calls (92.4 attendance record.) Rounding out the top 10 were current Reps. David LeBoeuf (D-Worcester) who missed 22 roll calls (93.3 percent attendance record); Patrick Kearney (D-Scituate) who missed 20 roll calls (93.9 percent attendance record); Rady Mom (D-Lowell) who missed 17 roll calls (94.8 percent attendance record); Bruce Ayers (D-Quincy) who missed 12 roll calls (96.3 percent attendance record); and former Rep. Aaron Vega (D-Springfield) who missed ten roll calls (96.9 percent attendance record). Beacon Hill Roll Call contacted these ten legislators and asked each one for a comment on his attendance record. Only fi ve responded: Current Reps. LeBoeuf, Kearney and Ayers; and former Reps. Naughton and Vega. Former Reps. Scaccia, Tosado, Hunt, Petrolati and current Rep. Mom did not respond. I was mobilized by the National Guard for COVID relief from April through June.” responded Naughton. “The number reflects one day that I was not able to attend a session due to a medical emergency and other times my votes were not recorded due to cellular service issues,” said LeBoeuf. “I am a commissioned offi cer in the U.S. Naval Reserves,” said Kearney. “The…votes that I missed…occurred as a result of my being on my annual reserve duty and additional reserve duty due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was my distinct honor to serve my country in its time of need. I was present for the roll calls on acts and budgets.” “In early March of 2020 I was on an official business trip with city leaders to increase our investment in economic partnerships between the city of Quincy and County Cork, Ireland, during which time I missed 12 votes in two days,” said Ayers. “This is not refl ective of my service in the Legislature, as I’ve always maintained a 99 percent voting record in the House. Aside from this trip, I did not miss a single vote during the last session.” “Despite trying to be available for every vote, the remote session and the schedule created sometimes I was not available due to district commitments,” said Vega. 2020 HOUSE ROLL CALL ATTENDANCE RECORD The percentage listed next to the representative’s name is the percentage of roll call votes for which the representative was present and voting. The number in parentheses represents the number of roll calls that he or she missed. Most representatives’ votes are based on the total 332 roll calls. Some votes of some representatives who won a special election after the 2020 session was already underway have their votes based on fewer roll calls. Rep. Joseph McGonagle 99.6 percent (1) HOW LONG WAS LAST WEEK’S SESSION? Beacon Hill Roll Call tracks the length of time that the House and Senate were in session each week. Many legislators say that legislative sessions are only one aspect of the Legislature’s job and that a lot of important work is done outside of the House and Senate chambers. They note that their jobs also involve committee work, research, constituent work and other matters that are important to their districts. Critics say that the Legislature does not meet regularly or long enough to debate and vote in public view on the thousands of pieces of legislation that have been fi led. They note that the infrequency and brief length of sessions are misguided and lead to irresponsible late-night sessions and a mad rush to act on dozens of bills in the days immediately preceding the end of an annual session. During the week of January 1115, the House met for a total of 37 minutes while the Senate met for a total of ten minutes. Mon. January 11 House 11:01 a.m. to 11:02 a.m. Senate 11:16 a.m. to 11:21 a.m. Tues. January 12 No House session No Senate session Wed. January 13 No House session No Senate session Thurs. January 14 House 11:02 a.m. to 11:38 a.m. Senate 11:12 a.m. to 11:17 a.m. Fri. January 15 No House session No Senate session Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com S y Senior n i r D It W k Acupuncture: Does It Sa e a a A t BY JIM MILLER Seni nior io ior ork and Is It Covered by Medicare? Dear Savvy Senior, Is acupuncture a viable treatment for pain and is it covered by Medicare? Since the pandemic hit, I have a lot of lower back and neck pain and am wondering if it’s worth trying. What can you tell me? Looking for Solutions Dear Looking, Many studies over the years – funded by the National Institutes of Health – have found acupuncture to be very eff ective in easing pain and can help with a variety of other ailments too. Here’s what you should know. Acupuncture Treatment First used in China more than 2,000 years ago, acupuncture has become increasingly popular in the United States over the past decade. While acupuncture isn’t a cure-all treatment, it is a safe, drug-free option for relieving many different types of pain including low back pain, neck pain, osteoarthritis, migraine headaches, fi bromyalgia, postoperative pain, tennis elbow, carpel tunnel syndrome, dental pain and more. Studies have also shown that it can be helpful in treating asthma, depression, digestive disorders, menopause symptoms like hot fl ashes, and nausea caused by chemotherapy or anesthesia. Exactly how or why acupuncture works isn’t fully understood, but it’s based on the traditional Eastern theory that vital energy fl ows through pathways in the body, and when any of these pathways get blocked, pain and illness result. Acupuncture unblocks the pathways to restore health. However, today most Western practitioners believe that acupuncture works because it stimulates the nerves causing the release of endorphins, which are the body’s natural painkiller hormones. It’s also shown to increase blood circulation, decrease infl ammation and stimulate the immune system. What to Expect During acupuncture, practitioners stimulate specifi c points on the body by inserting thin needles through the skin. The needles are solid, sterile and disposable (used only once), and as thin as a cat’s whisker. The number of needles used for each treatment can vary anywhere from a few, up to a dozen or more. And where the needles are actually stuck depends on the condition being treated, but they are typically inserted about one-quarter to 1-inch deep and are left in place for about 20 minutes. After placement, the needles are sometimes twirled or manipulated, or stimulated with electricity or heat. You may feel a brief, sharp sensation when the needle is inserted, but generally it’s not painful. Once the needle is in place, however, you may feel a tingling sensation, numbness, mild pressure or warmth. How many treatments you’ll need will depend on the severity of your condition – 12 treatments done weekly or biweekly is very common. It’s also important to know that acupuncture can be used in conjunction with other conventional medical treatments, or by itself. Cost and Coverage The cost per treatment typically runs anywhere from $40 to $150, depending on where you are in the country and what style of treatment you are receiving. Today, an increasing number of private insurance plans, including some Medicare Advantage plans, and policies provided by employers off er some type of acupuncture coverage. You’ll also be happy to know that last January (2020), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced that original Medicare will now cover up to 12 acupuncture sessions in 90 days for patients with chronic lower back pain. Eight additional sessions can be added if patients show improvement. But in order to receive Medicare coverage, you must use a licensed acupuncturist who is supervised by a medical doctor, physician assistant or nurse practitioner trained in acupuncture, who will need to process the acupuncture claim. Currently, licensed acupuncturists can’t directly bill Medicare. To fi nd an acupuncturist in your area ask your doctor for a referral, or you can do a search online. Two good resources are the National Certifi cation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (nccaom. org), and the American Academy of Medical Acupuncturists (medicalacupuncture.org), which off ers a directory of MDs and DOs who are certifi ed to practice acupuncture. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

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