Massachusetts is racing to soften the blow of new federal Medicaid rules — and the clock is loud.

Governor Maura Healey stood in Haverhill Tuesday and put $10 million behind a public awareness campaign aimed at keeping MassHealth members insured under new federal requirements that take effect in less than five months. The rules, part of the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" Trump signed last year, will force more than 300,000 MassHealth recipients — delivery drivers, home health aides, college students, and others near the income threshold — to prove they're working, in school, or "medically frail" enough to qualify for an exemption. Twice-yearly eligibility checks and new paperwork hurdles replace what had been a far simpler system.

Healey didn't mince words about the intent behind the policy: "They're intentionally making it really burdensome to be on MassHealth," she said, arguing the point is to shrink the program's rolls and redirect the savings toward tax cuts. Whether or not you buy that framing, the practical stakes are enormous — state officials themselves expect hundreds of thousands of residents could lose coverage not because they're ineligible, but because they trip over red tape. That's the real story here: this isn't primarily a fight over who deserves Medicaid. It's a fight over whether people who already qualify can navigate a system built, critics say, to generate paperwork failures.

What happens next is a logistics and communications sprint. Notices are already going out to MassHealth members this week, and the state has to reach people — many of whom don't regularly check mail from state agencies — before the rules bite. Watch for hospitals, community health centers, and legal aid groups to become the front line of this effort, and watch for enrollment numbers this winter as the first real test of whether Healey's $10 million actually moved the needle.

Full story at WBUR →

Manhunt underway in Acton after two family members found dead. Police are searching for 17-year-old Arjun Aravind after an adult woman and a teenage boy were found dead inside a home on Martha Lane Tuesday night. Aravind is believed to be driving a green 2014 Honda Accord and is considered a relative of the two victims; authorities say don't approach him, just call 911. A related search was also conducted in Hudson. CBS Boston →

Rollins ballot controversy escalates — AG says fraud should mean disqualification. Attorney General Andrea Campbell said Suffolk DA candidate Rachael Rollins should be knocked off the September primary ballot if she "fraudulently" qualified, after a Globe investigation found five Chelsea officials say they never signed her nomination papers — including signatures that appear twice for the same person. Rollins is challenging incumbent Kevin Hayden and Linda Champion; her campaign hasn't substantively responded yet. Boston Globe →

Healey signs law lifting Massachusetts' 24-week abortion restriction. The new law scraps the old four-part test for late abortions and instead lets the decision rest on "the professional judgment of the physician." Filed by Rep. Christine Barber, it moved fast — cleared House Ways and Means in late July and got signed within weeks — a sign of how much urgency Democrats feel post-Dobbs. WBUR →

Stoughton's town manager mess deepens. Firefighter and public works unions voted no confidence in Town Manager Thomas Calter amid his ongoing feud with Police Chief Donna McNamara, who's suing him for harassment and gender discrimination. Both are on paid leave; McNamara also alleges Calter tried to bury a report tied to the Sandra Birchmore case. Calter denies involvement in that investigation. Boston Globe →

Worcester officials want their express train back. A new report from Worcester's MBTA Working Group calls on the T to restore "pure" nonstop Heart-to-Hub service, which used to make the Boston run in an hour before the pandemic and route changes stretched it to about 80 minutes. Mayor Joseph Petty is pushing for strict travel-time targets as the city keeps growing. Boston.com →

DOJ letter complicates Worcester's victory lap on police reform. City leaders announced last week that the Justice Department was closing its investigation into the Worcester Police Department "without sustaining any allegations" of misconduct. But a copy of the actual DOJ letter, obtained by GBH, doesn't say that — and suggests federal investigators still stand by their 2024 findings of excessive force and misconduct. GBH News →

September 1 is the GOP gubernatorial primary between Mike Minogue and Brian Shortsleeve — the two agree on taxes and immigration but split sharply on abortion rights. WBUR →

Nine ballot questions head to Massachusetts voters this November, including public records reform and Election Day voter registration — AG Campbell says she backs both. GBH News →

House and Senate negotiators are quietly finalizing the state's big economic development package, which could include raising the age for juvenile court jurisdiction to cover many 18-year-olds. CommonWealth Beacon →

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Yesterday's Biggest Contributions

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Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

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Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

Candidates

• Cari-Ann Knight — House, 3rd Worcester — Filed: 8/10/2026

PACs

• Protect Massachusetts Taxpayers Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee — N/A, No office — Filed: 8/11/2026

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