The Massachusetts Health Care Trust Bill, legislation that creates a single payer system for everyone in the Commonwealth now has identifying bill numbers: Senate: S. 599, House: H. 2165. As soon as the public hearing is scheduled at the State House this spring, the date and time will posted on MNA's web site.

We now have 57 representatives (36 percent) and 14 senators (35 percent) who support S.599 and H.2165 The Massachusetts Health Care Trust Bill. Check out the Masscare website (www.masscare.org) to see who they are! If your state senator and representative are cosponsors, thank them and ask them to persuade their colleagues. If your senator and representative are not supporters, call and urge them to become one. For help identifying your legislators, call MNA at 781.830.5725.

We must keep advocating for change

All of our messages to legislators have had results. As you recall, last summer, the Legislature created an Advisory Committee on Consolidated Financing of a health care system which covers everyone. A seat for MNA was defined in the law. But there were delays in getting the Committee started. Because of all of many contacts with our legislators, the Committee meetings are underway. Boston College Professor Judith Shindul-Rothschild, RN, PhD, is MNA's representative. We must continue our advocacy. The "Statehouse News" quoted Sen. Montigny (who is co-chairing this committee and is Chair of the Senate Ways & Means Committee) as saying that he "is cautious about the group's potential and said he could not guarantee any bold results unless the public rallies behind the cause of universal health care."