The many health care bills stuck on Beacon Hill

Also: MDMA therapy gets a thumbs down from the FDA. Now what? [❤️ Donate]( [View in Browser]( August 13, 2024    Hi CommonHealth reader, I hear a lot of frustration every year from Massachusetts health care advocates whose bills don't pass on Beacon Hill. But last week, when the state Legislature's formal session ended, I heard something stronger: exasperation, anger and even disgust.  A number of bills that appeared to have broad support never made it to the governor's desk. One aimed at preventing another private equity health care bankruptcy, like that of [Steward Health Care]( didn't make it out of negotiations to resolve differences between the House and Senate versions. The same thing happened to bills aimed at curbing pharmaceutical costs, addressing the opioid crisis and more. You can read the full list of health care measures that didn't pass this session [here](. But it wasn't just health care. My colleagues heard and [reported]( similar reactions from supporters of a climate change bill and a major economic development bill that met similar fates. There's broad distress about the Legislature's inability to get things done. State Auditor Diana DiZoglio, a frequent State House critic, called the system " [broken.]( Inaction on Beacon Hill is not the result of partisan gridlock. The House, Senate and Gov. Maura Healey's office are all controlled by Democrats. Still, many legislative efforts stall. Some former state lawmakers say it's time for a shake-up. That could mean changing legislative rules and deadlines, or returning to a single-year session for bills, [as was the case before 1995](. But former state Rep. John McDonough, a Democrat from Boston, doesn't see legislators launching reforms from within.  "There's been too much of a structure developed that insulates them from any change," said McDonough, now a professor at Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health. "There are many, many people inside [the legislature] who would love to see a revolution, but if they speak up they are marginalizing themselves and their ability to be effective at all. So it's gotta come from outside." Lawmakers can point to a few health care accomplishments this session, mostly budget items. And there is still a chance some legislation could move forward. Given the many health care bills left unfinished, House and Senate leaders said they'll try to pass some during informal sessions in the coming weeks and months. This would be unusual. Just one objection during an informal session can kill a bill. However, there are ways to work around the rules (what my colleague and veteran State House reporter Steve Brown calls "political jiu-jitsu"), so we'll see. Martha Bebinger Reporter, Health This Week's Must Reads [FDA gives thumbs down to MDMA for now, demanding further research]( The much-anticipated decision has rattled supporters of psychedelic therapies. The drugmaker says it will ask the agency to reconsider. [Read more.]( [FDA gives thumbs down to MDMA for now, demanding further research]( The much-anticipated decision has rattled supporters of psychedelic therapies. The drugmaker says it will ask the agency to reconsider. [Read more.]( [Weight-loss drugs like Wegovy may help stave off some cancers]( Several new studies find promising evidence that the GLP-1 class of drugs may have a cancer-preventive effect, especially for cancers linked to obesity. [Read more.]( [Weight-loss drugs like Wegovy may help stave off some cancers]( Several new studies find promising evidence that the GLP-1 class of drugs may have a cancer-preventive effect, especially for cancers linked to obesity. [Read more.]( [Is COVID endemic yet? Yep, says the CDC. Here's what that means]( The nation - and Olympic athletes, like Noah Lyles - are in another summer surge of COVID infections. CDC officials say the virus has become endemic. That means it is here to stay in a predictable way. [Read more.]( [Is COVID endemic yet? Yep, says the CDC. Here's what that means]( The nation - and Olympic athletes, like Noah Lyles - are in another summer surge of COVID infections. CDC officials say the virus has become endemic. That means it is here to stay in a predictable way. [Read more.]( [Staff and residents are 'scared to death' of violent patients at dementia care homes]( Verbal, physical and sexual aggression among dementia patients in long-term care facilities are alarmingly common. "There is a real problem with endemic violence," one researcher says. [Read more.]( [Staff and residents are 'scared to death' of violent patients at dementia care homes]( Verbal, physical and sexual aggression among dementia patients in long-term care facilities are alarmingly common. "There is a real problem with endemic violence," one researcher says. [Read more.]( [A pilot program aims to make it easier for N.H. doctors to talk about climate change]( For the past year, a team of Dartmouth Health pediatricians helped inform patients about five local climate concerns: air quality, extreme heat, extreme weather, ticks, mosquitos and mental health. [Read more.]( [A pilot program aims to make it easier for N.H. doctors to talk about climate change]( For the past year, a team of Dartmouth Health pediatricians helped inform patients about five local climate concerns: air quality, extreme heat, extreme weather, ticks, mosquitos and mental health. [Read more.]( What We're Reading 📚 - U.S. Surgeon General was warned by his mom to avoid politics, but he jumped into the fray anyway ([Associated Press]( - Three Studies of MDMA Treatment Retracted by Scientific Journal ([The New York Times]( - Five things Gov. Tim Walz accomplished in health care ([American Journal of Managed Care]( Your Health [Inspired by the Olympics? It's not too late to ignite your own fitness journey]( Some athletes at the Paris Olympics didn't discover their sport until later in life. Here are five science-backed tips that can help you start an exercise routine you'll actually stick with. [Read more.]( [Inspired by the Olympics? It's not too late to ignite your own fitness journey]( Some athletes at the Paris Olympics didn't discover their sport until later in life. Here are five science-backed tips that can help you start an exercise routine you'll actually stick with. [Read more.]( 🧠💥 Did you know...💥🧠 ... [this purple tomato]( has the same antioxidants as blueberries? Science Friday reports it's among a new wave of cross-bred plants engineered to be more resilient to climate change. 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 🔎 Explore [WBUR's Field Guide]( stories, events and more. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.](   [Donate](   # # Want to change how you receive these emails? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences](.   I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. Unsubscribe from all WBUR editorial newsletters [here](.   Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here](. Trustees of Boston University on behalf of WBUR, 890 Commonwealth Ave Boston, MA, 02215, US Copyright 2024 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.