Passing finances
As Congress faces a Jan. 30 deadline to cross the FY2026 finances, one crucial should information its work: we can not enable a repeat of final 12 months’s dysfunction.
The Trump Administration’s unlawful impoundments and partisan rescissions weren’t technical skirmishes over course of. They have been a direct affront to Congress’ constitutional authority. When an administration defies the legislation and withholds funds that Congress has lawfully appropriated, it strikes on the core of our constitutional system.
Our democracy endures solely when every department honors its outlined position. When that steadiness is breached, public belief erodes, authorities grinds towards dysfunction, and the rule of legislation is weakened.
As lawmakers finalize the finances, I urge them to defend the Structure by embedding clear, enforceable safeguards that forestall any administration from nullifying the desire of Congress. Passing a finances is just not sufficient; it have to be one that can not be ignored. The steadiness of our democracy is determined by it.
William Deignan
Medford
Rural sufferers
As a working towards rheumatologist in Boston, I do know firsthand that handy entry to high quality healthcare is important for Bay Staters residing with rheumatic ailments. Affecting the joints, muscle tissues, and bones, greater than 1 / 4 of adults in Massachusetts undergo from arthritis — the commonest type of rheumatic illness — making it troublesome and painful simply to go away the home, not to mention to journey lengthy distances for care.
Fortunately, rural healthcare funding was included within the One Huge Lovely Invoice Act (OBBBA) earlier this 12 months. When deciding the place to allocate our portion of the funding, Massachusetts’ state legislators should keep in mind the significance of bettering rheumatology care to make essential look after weak sufferers extra accessible. Particularly, these funds needs to be used to recruit extra specialty suppliers and incentivize specialists to observe in rural settings.
Moreover, funding ought to help expanded telehealth reimbursement and strengthen community-based interventions so rural sufferers can handle their circumstances regionally – and even from their very own properties. That is particularly necessary for New England sufferers who should journey lengthy distances for care in medical hubs like Boston. It’s time for not simply telehealth, but in addition interstate telehealth to be a precedence.
Nothing is extra necessary for rheumatology sufferers than guaranteeing entry to care whereas additionally prioritizing their security and luxury. I urge our lawmakers to make use of OBBBA sources to boost rural healthcare and protect the independence of Massachusetts’ most weak sufferers.
Gerald B Miley, MD, FACR
Boston
