THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2024 Page 19 nous Peoples Day on the second Monday in October with a presidential proclamation, becoming the fi rst U.S. president to do so. We must rename Columbus Day as Indigenous Peoples Day — a holiday to honor those who fi rst settled this land. This will pay rightful tribute to the contributions of Indigenous peoples in Massachusetts — past, present, and future. DON’T MISS THIS HEALTH CARE EVENT — The Steward Health Care bankruptcy has shocked Massachusetts’ healthcare system, creating challenges and raising questions about the future of primary care, urgent care and behavioral health. On Oct. 30, join top executives, legislative leaders, regulators and advocates for a discussion on the system’s vulnerabilities and potential policy solutions at the Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) Conference Center in Boston. This event is hosted by the State House News Service and MASSterList. More information/register: https://www.eventbrite. com/e/urgent-treatmentmass-health-care-after-steward-tickets-1038286622237? aff =oddtdtcreator GUN LAW REPEAL EFFORT — A group calling itself the Civil Rights Coalition announced it collected more than 90,000 signatures in its effort to repeal the law, approved by the Legislature and signed by the governor in July, that changed some of the state’s gun laws. The group needed to collect 37,287 signatures and fi le them with local city and towns clerks by October 9 as the fi rst step toward getting the repeal question on the November 2026 ballot. Sponsors then have until October 23 to fi le the signatures with the Secretary of State’s offi ce which will decide if there are sufficient certified signatures to qualify for the November 2026 ballot. Provisions of the new law include cracking down on untraceable “ghost guns;” banning firearms in additional public spaces like schools, polling places and government buildings; expanding the 2018 “red fl ag” law that allows school administrators and licensed health care providers to petition a court to temporarily take fi rearms away from someone deemed a threat to themselves or others; closing loopholes that allow the modifi cation of legal fi rearms into illegal automatic weapons; and providing a legacy clause so all fi rearms legally owned and registered in Massachusetts as of the eff ective date of the bill will continue to be legal and may be bought and sold within the state. Gov. Healey recently attached an emergency preamble to the law. The emergency preamble makes the law take eff ect immediately instead of on Oct. 23 as originally scheduled. Healy’s move came on the heels of the announcement of the campaign to repeal the law. Under the Massachusetts Constitution, if a ballot campaign collects a certain number of signatures, it can prevent the implementation of a law without an emergency preamble from taking eff ect until voters weigh in on whether to repeal it. The emergency preamble prevents suspension of the law while still allowing the repeal campaign to take place. “This emergency preamble that was signed was done so in an eff ort to suppress a right that is enshrined in our Bill of Rights,” said Toby Leary, the leader of the coalition to repeal the law. “That should never be allowed. It should never be able to stand.” “This is about ensuring that we’re ready to go in terms of implementation,” responded Healey. “The system is there. It’s a democracy. You can go to your Legislature and you can advocate for policy and advocate for laws, and that’s the way the system works.” “We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us,” said Leary. “We’ve got legal action that will be coming, and we’ve got a long way to go. I believe this will be a twoyear civics lesson for the people of Massachusetts when they see what their politicians have done. It’s our turn to remind them you need to comply with your oath of offi ce. Let’s make the oath of offi ce great again.” Leary also hinted that his group is weighing legal options to challenge the governor’s action. “We don’t want to tip our hand exactly as to what we’re doing, but yes, we are exploring all options. I do believe the governor acted outside of the constitutional provisions,” Leary said. “No doubt, under Article 48, there’s a provision there for a governor to sign an emergency preamble. However, the way in which it was done for purely political purposes to suppress a right [is something] I believe the courts would look very unfavorably on.” CHILD CUSTODY (S 2961) — The Senate approved and sent to the House a bill that supporters say would simplify and modernize child custody jurisdiction laws in the Bay State. Supporters, noting Massachusetts is the only one of the 50 states that has not opted into this law, argued the pact will make the Bay State’s interstate custody laws consistent with the 49 other states. They noted the bill would create clear rules that would be established for multi-state custody cases, prioritizing the home state of the child and ensuring Massachusetts courts can work eff ectively with courts in other states, nationally and in other countries for international child custody orders. “I’m proud that the Massachusetts Senate passed my legislation to bring Massachusetts in line with the rest of the nation by enacting the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act,” said sponsor Sen. Cynthia Stone Creem (D-Newton). “I am grateful to have the support of the Boston Bar Association, the Massachusetts Bar Association, and the Massachusetts chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers behind this important bill.” “Today’s legislation aims to simplify a process that is already diffi cult for children and families,” said Senate President Karen Spilka (D-Ashland). “Bringing Massachusetts in line with other states nationally will enhance the wellbeing of people going through this process and give families clarity in their path forward.” The Senate approved similar bills in 2016 and 2018 but the bills died in the House from inaction. ADDITIONAL $600,000 TO FUND DIAPERS FOR CHILDREN PROGRAM — The Massachusetts Association for Community Action (MASSCAP) announced that it has been awarded $600,000 in federal funds to extend for another year, the federal diaper pilot program that provides diapers for low-income families. The $600,000 is on top of the original $1.2 million grant that funded the program for two years. MASSCAP has operated the program with 16 agencies across Massachusetts and Connecticut to distribute over two million diapers to low-income families. “The continuance of resources … signals a defi nitive recognition that this is a very real issue for countless families experiencing low incomes,” said Joe Diamond, MASSCAP Executive Director. “However, in Massachusetts, more than one third of families struggle to afford enough diapers, meaning we are limited in the number of families we can reach with this award.” “Our resources support the inclusion of less than half of our agencies across the state, but all of our statewide network has indicated they have a need for diapers. Participating agencies in our network are currently operating their programs at [full] BEACON | SEE Page 20 How to Find a Cheaper Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Dear Savvy Senior, What’s the easiest way to compare Medicare Part D prescription drug plans? My Part D premium is increasing again in 2025, so I would like to use the fall open enrollment to fi nd and sign up for a cheaper plan. Shopping Around Dear Shopping, I’m happy to hear you’re comparing your Medicare coverage options this fall! Research shows that many Medicare benefi ciaries with Part D coverage can lower their prescription drug costs by shopping among plans each year during the open enrollment season, which runs Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. There could be another Part D plan in your area that covers the drugs you take with fewer restrictions or with lower costs. You never know until you look. You’ll also be happy to know that thanks to the Infl ation Reduction Act, in 2025 annual outof-pocket costs will be capped at $2,000 for all Medicare Part D benefi ciaries. Here are some tips and tools to help you shop and compare Part D plans. Plan Finder Tool If you have internet access and are comfortable using a computer, you can easily shop for and compare all Medicare drug plans in your area and enroll in a new plan online, and it only takes a few minutes. Just go to Medicare’s Plan Finder Tool at Medicare.gov/ fi nd-a-plan. You can do a general search on the right side of the page, under the title “Continue without logging in.” If you wish to save your drugs and pharmacy information, you can log into or create your Medicare account on the left side of the page. Next, type in your ZIP code and choose the type of coverage you’re looking for, enter the drugs you take, choose the pharmacies you use, and indicate whether you are interested in a mail order option. The plan fi nder will then display results for plans in your area. Be aware that a plan may not cover all the drugs you take, but it may cover alternatives. It will also tell you if the plan has a deductible and how much the monthly premium is. Initially, the plans will be sorted by “lowest drug + premium costs.” This is the closest estimate to what you may pay out of pocket for your Part D coverage for the year. You can select “plan details” to fi nd out more specifics about coverage, including any coverage restrictions that might apply to your drugs. Before enrolling, it is a good idea to call the plan directly to confi rm any information you read on plan finder, as information may not be completely up to date. If you need help, you can call Medicare at 800-633-4227 and they can do this for you over the phone. Or contact your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), which provides free unbiased Medicare counseling. To fi nd a local SHIP counselor call 877-839-2675 or see ShipHelp.org. Any changes to coverage you make will take eff ect Jan. 1, 2025. If you take no action during open enrollment, your current coverage will continue next year. Extra Help If you’re lower-income and having a hard time paying your medication costs, you may be eligible for Medicare’s “Extra Help” program. This is a federal low-income subsidy that helps pay Part D premiums, deductibles and copayments. To be eligible, your annual income must be under $22,590 or $30,660 for married couples living together, and your assets (not counting your home, personal possessions, vehicles, life insurance policies or burial expenses) must be below $17,220 or $34,360 for married couples. For more information or to apply, call Social Security at 800772-1213 or visit SSA.gov/medicare/part-d-extra-help. 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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