THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – Friday, May 31, 2019 Page 9 Statement from Health Care For All’s Director, Amy Rosenthal, on the MassHealth prescription drug provision B OSTON – “Health Care For All applauds the Senate for retaining the strong language included in the proposed Senate Ways and Means budget to address the rapidly rising costs of prescription drugs in the MassHealth program. MassHealth spending for prescription drugs has nearly doubled from $1.1 billion to $1.9 billion over the past five years. This provision provides MassHealth with additional critical tools to negotiate lower prices for the most expensive drugs. “The Senate budget allows the Executive Office of Health and Human Services to publicly post the value of a drug if it is found to be unreasonably priced and if there is no agreement on supplemental rebates with the manufacturer. It also promotes transparency by requiring pharmaceutical companies to participate in public hearings and report to state agencies information relating to drug pricing. “We believe the Senate’s approach, which echoes the Governor’s proposal, is the best path toward bringing down prescription drug costs in MassHealth.” Jean-Francois appointed commissioner of Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination B OSTON – Neldy Jean-Francois has been named a Commissioner of the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) effective May 24, 2019. The three-member Commission serves as the state’s chief civil rights agency and has the authority to investigate, prosecute, adjudicate and resolve cases of discrimination. MCAD is an independent agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that is funded by the state with additional support provided through federal contract payments from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). MCAD protects individuals in numerous protected categories – including race, color, creed, national origin, age, disability, gender, gender identity and sexual orientation – by enforcing the state’s antidiscrimination laws in employment, housing, public accommodations, credit and education. “I am pleased to appoint Neldy Jean-Francois as Commissioner of the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “Neldy is an experienced public servant who will serve the Commission effectively, and we look forward to her continued leadership.” “Neldy Jean-Francois’ decades of tireless commitment to Massachusetts and its residents makes her a valuable asset to the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “A highly respected and esteemed public servant, we are pleased to appoint her to this important Commission.” “I am excited and grateful for the opportunity to continue to serve in my new role as a Commissioner of the MCAD,” said Jean-Francois. “When I walked through the doors of MCAD in 1998 as a UMass Amherst investigative intern, I never imagined that I would be coming back 21 years later as one of the Commissioners, and I am honored and deeply humbled for the opportunity the Baker-Polito administration has offered me and look forward to championing the MCAD’s mission of eradicating discrimination and serving the citizens of the Commonwealth in this new role.” MCAD commissioners are appointed by the governor, serve terms of three years and are each delegated regional responsibilities in the Springfield, New Bedford and Boston regions. For more about MCAD, visit http://www.mass. Pleasure Island Walking Tour – Sunday, June 2 W AKEFIELD–On Sunday, June 2, Friends of Pleasure Island President Bob McLaughlin will conduct a free walking tour of the former Pleasure Island amusement park site at Edgewater Office Park, which is located off Audubon Road in Wakefield (Rte. 128, Exit 42). The tour will be held from 10:00 a.m. to noon, rain or shine. This event is open to the public and does not require reservations. Participants will meet in the first parking lot on the left after entering Edgewater Office Park. For more information about this tour or other events celebrating the unique history of Pleasure Island, please contact Bob McLaughlin at bob@ friendsofpleasureisland.org or go to www.friendsofpleasureisland.org. gov/mcad/. Jean-Francois has most recently served as the First Deputy Commissioner and Chief of Staff of the Department of Professional Licensure (DPL), and she had previously served as Deputy Commissioner of the Office of Public Safety and Inspections (OPSI), providing oversight to DPL’s operations, policies and licensing functions. Jean-Francois joined DPL in 2007 as Board Counsel to several boards of registration, and from 2011 to 2015, she served as Executive Director of the Allied Health and Certified Public Accountants units. Prior to joining DPL, Jean-Francois served as a Massachusetts Commission on Discrimination compliance officer and as an attorney with the Massachusetts Department of Revenue’s Child Support Enforcement Division, where she litigated cases involving paternity matters, child support enforcement and health insurance orders. A resident of Milton, Jean-Francois earned her B.A. from UMass Amherst and her J.D. from Suffolk University. 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