Rep. Christine Barber files bill to alleviate healthcare inequities

Floyd Elam Sr. quit his job when he got sick.

"After retiring, I've had to purchase insurance on my own, with premiums that are hundreds of dollars a month, and about to jump even higher," said Elam, a Dorchester resident and Black man.

Elam then called Health Care For All (HCFA), a Massachusetts-based health advocacy organization, to figure out how to pay for his treatment and insurance without the help of an employer.

"On top of that, I have high-blood pressure and the co-pays for my prescription are going from $25 a month to $50," he said. "At that rate, I don't even know if I can afford to keep taking the medication."

Elam's story is far from uncommon, a study done by HCFA and Altarum, a nonprofit research and consultation organization serving government health insurers, foundations and other clients, found.

The two organizations conducted a survey of more than 1,150 Massachusetts adults, which found 80% of Black people and nearly the same percentage of Latinx people face increased fear surrounding affordability with their healthcare, compared to white people.

The COVID-19 pandemic only exacerbated this fear.

Constituents across the state of Massachusetts reported their concerns to local or state-level representatives, about their inability to pay for hospital and prescription drug costs. Some even gave up receiving healthcare, due to this inequity in the healthcare sector.

Earlier Monday morning, they hosted a virtual press conference, inviting state Sens. John Keenan and Cindy Friedman, as well as Reps. Christine Barber, from the 34th Middlesex district, and Jon Santiago, from the 9th Suffolk district, to discuss their advocacy for the bills currently standing before the state Legislature, which could address concerns in the constituency.

Also in attendance were conference facilitator and representative from Health Care For All, Amy Rosenthal, representative from Altarum, Amanda Hunt, Dr. Ronald Dunlap, from the Massachusetts Medical Society, and Juan Cofield, from the New England Conference of the NAACP.

"The survey shows how widespread the affordability crisis is in Massachusetts and the disproportionate impact it has on people of color and low-income residents," Rosenthal, executive director of Health Care for All, said.

"Massachusetts families have been drowning in health care costs for far too long, and COVID-19 has pulled back the curtain and revealed the challenges that have long existed in our health care system," she continued.

The bills

And legislators understand the crisis, filing legislation at the State House to help.

The first bill is H.1247/S.782, also known as the More Affordable Care (MAC) Act, sponsored by Barber, which would ensure prescription drug cost transparency and and affordability.

The conversation surrounding affordability is also being discussed in bill H.729. The second bill, S.771, relates to pharmaceutical access, costs and transparency.

The numbers

While fears surrounding healthcare costs have had a longstanding history in the United States, specifically in communities of color and low-income families, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the realities for many Massachusetts residents. The following are some key points the study found:

53% of Black/African American individuals are somewhat or very worried they will not be able to afford prescription drugs, and a similar percentage of Latinx/Hispanic people face this fear

66% of Black/African American individuals forwent their healthcare treatments due to unaffordability, and 61% of Latinx/Hispanic people forwent their healthcare treatments for the same reason

The study also presented the state's racial/ethnic, economic and geographic inequities in health care.

"Since the average income of families of color is significantly lower than that of White families, higher prescription drug prices contribute to the health care disparities between the two communities," said Juan Cofield, president of the NAACP, New England Area Conference.

Cofield, and by extension the New England Conference, is in support of the two bills, which state senators and representatives hope will be passed in the next session.

"People aren't given the help they need to address healthcare and insurance costs," Keenan said. "And, even more than this, people fear the cost of receiving healthcare will become more expensive over time — especially because post-pandemic, finding employers who can take care of costs through insurance programs is equally as hard as finding jobs."

"Sixty-nine percent of Massachusetts adults, regardless of their political beliefs, have vocalized their need for the healthcare system to change," the study said.

As much as patients feel the need for the system to become more just, doctors agree.

"For the physician community, the high and continually rising cost of prescription drugs undermines our ability to provide the best clinical care possible and directly impacts the health of our patients," said Dunlap, a past president of the Massachusetts Medical Society.

"No one should ever have to make the decision between paying for health care or putting food on their table, and the survey released clearly shows it is disproportionately Black and Latinx residents that face impossible choices because of unaffordable care," said Barber, lead sponsor of the MAC Act and the act to ensure prescription drug cost transparency and affordability (H.729).

"The MAC Act will help address longstanding racial disparities in health care access by eliminating co-pays for certain treatments for chronic conditions that are more likely to impact low-income communities and communities of color," she said. "It will also establish a consumer benchmark to rein in the rising costs of premiums, deductibles and co-pays."

Santiago, lead sponsor of the act working to ensure prescription drug cost transparency and affordability (H.729), agrees.

"The rise in prescription drug prices has disproportionately harmed our most vulnerable communities, including my constituents and the patients I care for in the emergency room," said Santiago. "Passing these bills isn't just about big pharma companies, but it's about saving lives."