According to David Morales, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Division of Health Care Finance and Policy, “As other parts of the nation continue to wrestle with how to expand access to health insurance, Massachusetts – having already achieved more than 97 percent insurance coverage – is turning its focus toward mitigating rising health care costs.
While [...]

Attorney General Martha Coakley wants to know, “Was one of your New Year’s Resolutions to eat healthier? One way to support that goal is to eat more fruits and vegetables.
The USDA’s MyPyramid provides information on a health diet and gives some recommended daily guidelines for nutrition. There is not a “one-size fits all” recommendation; the [...]

BOSTON — Tuesday, March 2, 2010 — Governor Deval Patrick today announced that he has directed the Department of Public Health to take steps to impose a limited ban on Bisphenol A (BPA). BPA is a chemical in polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins widely used for producing food containers, including baby bottles and spill-proof cups.
According [...]

In keeping with his commitment to provide quality health care for all residents of the Commonwealth, Governor Deval Patrick today announced that he is filing an amendment to the federal Medicaid waiver that supports the Commonwealth’s health care reform initiatives, including the Commonwealth Care and MassHealth programs.
What is a Medicaid Waiver? “The Medicaid program is [...]

Jim Folk, MBTA Director of Operations and Planning recently announced that his drivers are safe!
In a press release the Director reported, “There is positive news to report again this year about the safety record of MBTA bus drivers. The safety record improved again in 2009, as it had in 2008, with the total [...]

According to Insurance Commissioner Joseph G. Murphy, “Today, the Division of Insurance begins a schedule of six hearings on small business health insurance costs with a session in Hyannis. As part of Governor Patrick’s reform of small-market health insurance, these hearings will give us the opportunity to hear directly from small business owners how they [...]

Massachusetts’ 1st Annual “Legal Food Frenzy”– to raise food and funds for the Greater Boston Food Bank — begins on Monday and will run through March 12, 2010.
“A recent study by the Food Security Institute, Center on Hunger and Poverty found that over 600,000 Virginians are considered either “food insecure” or “food insecure with hunger.” [...]

Antibodies are normally produced in response to a foreign protein or substance within the body, typically a pathogen, which is a infectious organism. Normally, the immune system is able to recognize and ignore the body’s own cells and to not overreact to non-threatening substances in the environment, such as foods. Sometimes, however, the immune system [...]

Ginseng, Ginko, Antioxidants…if you didn’t know better you would think it’s all a foreign language. In an effort to promote public awareness of vitamin pro and cons the MDPH (Mass. Department of Public Health) has been trying to engage citizens through their Commonwealth Conversation blog.
Kara Ryan with the Mass. Department of Public Health [...]

With funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Massachusetts is one of 25 states involved in the national initiative to encourage adults of all ages to plan for their future long-term care needs. Governor Patrick unveiled a free, 44-page “Embrace Your Future” long-term care resource guide, which offers a range of strategies for planning ahead.