By Bob Katzen

“Policymakers assumed that lowering drug prices at the federal level would translate directly into lower costs for patients. Our findings show that patients can pay more at the pharmacy counter depending on how plans and Pharmacy Benefit Managers structure benefits.”
—Dr. William Smith, co-author of a study by the Pioneer Institute which shows that many Medicare seniors paid higher out-of-pocket costs in 2025 for widely used prescription drugs—despite a federal law intended to lower them.

“No one entity shapes the future of our state, transforms the lives of more people or contributes more to social mobility than UMass. But it’s no secret that these are trying times for all of higher education.”
–UMass President Marty Meehan, calling on supporters and alumni to support the university amidst the upheaval and funding disruptions stemming from federal policy.

“Families want to be able to access government services at the time and places that work for them, in their common language and on a mobile device. The new MyChildCareMA family portal is part of our efforts to transform the childcare financial assistance system into what families and providers want and deserve.”
— Secretary of Education Steve Zrike announcing the launch of MyChildCareMA, a new mobile-friendly and multilingual family portal for the state’s Child Care Financial Assistance programs that allow families to apply for childcare financial assistance, track application progress and manage their cases through a single, streamlined platform.

“We’re working every day to make Massachusetts more affordable, and that starts with making sure people have a safe, stable place to live. These investments will create more than 400 homes across Massachusetts and connect veterans, seniors and families with the services they need to stay healthy, get back on their feet and build a future.”
—Gov. Maura Healey announcing more than $44 million in awards for 11 supportive housing projects across Massachusetts that will create or preserve 401 homes for seniors, veterans and individuals and families experiencing homelessness.