Joint Committee Hears Testimony on ABA Waitlists, Kidney Insurance Gap

BOSTON — January 15, 2026 — Massachusetts Legislature's Joint Committee on Health Care Financing hears testimony on autism waitlists and kidney insurance gap. Co-chairs Representative John J. Lawn, Jr. and Senator Cindy F. Friedman presided Thursday over a hearing on four bills, including H.B. 4623, which would add board-certified Assistant Behavior Analysts as a reimbursable MassHealth provider tier, and H.B. 4425 and S.B. 2737, which would remove a statutory exclusion barring under-65 dialysis patients from buying Medigap coverage. Actuary Annie Tasman Ewing of Wakely testified that moving to a three-tier ABA model could cut MassHealth costs by up to 6 percent, or roughly $11.5 million in fiscal year 2023 terms. Senator Adam Gomez, testifying remotely after a personal renal appointment, disclosed he spent nearly 18 months on dialysis and said "no one should be penalized for getting sick before 65," noting the fix affects approximately 846 Massachusetts residents at an estimated cost of $1 per month to the broader insurance pool. All House bills face a January 28, 2026 reporting deadline.