The Honorable Ron Mariano
Speaker, Massachusetts House of Representatives
State House, Room 356
Boston, MA 02133
Dear Mr. Speaker:
The Massachusetts Medical Society is grateful for your continuing efforts to address the many crises brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, most recently with the passage of House Bill 4345. This legislation is critical to addressing the ongoing struggles
and inequities that have intensified under this latest surge in COVID-19 cases. The MMS is especially grateful for the inclusion of funding to increase vaccination rates among young children, to provide quality masks to school-aged children, to improve
the availability and accessibility of testing across the state, and to support the COVID-19 Vaccine Equity Initiative, which aims to raise vaccination rates and uptake of booster shots in communities disproportionately impacted by COVID.
We further wish to thank you for the inclusion of an important measure related to liability protections for our health care professionals. As you well know, it is critical for Massachusetts to equip our health care workforce with the resources and protections
necessary to continue providing optimal care to patients. The liability protections contained in this legislation reduce unreasonable liability exposure, recognizing the extreme circumstances under which clinical care is being provided during this
public health emergency, which allows our physicians to focus more wholly on their patients. These measures preserve patients’ legal protections against unacceptable conduct, while providing a pathway toward addressing the current treatment landscape
that is rife with unconventional needs being met with limited resources.
While we know there is no simple solution to the multifaceted pandemic crisis, reinstating liability protection will help reduce the burden currently placed on physicians and health care providers. This legislation demonstrates a strong understanding
of the challenges faced by the health care system and our frontline health care workers. We commend you for your work on these issues and look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with you as we navigate the next stages of this pandemic.
Sincerely,
Carole E. Allen, MD, MBA, FAAP
(This letter was also sent to Rep. Aaron Michlewitz, Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, and Rep. John Lawn, Chair of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing.)
View a PDF version of this letter here.
