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Board endorses ‘Primary Care for You’ package, urges City Council consideration
Summary
After a presentation by a Tufts physician, the Worcester Board of Health unanimously endorsed the Primary Care for You (PC4U) legislative package and asked staff to recommend City Council engagement to support the bills.
The Worcester Board of Health voted to endorse the Primary Care for You (PC4U) legislative initiative, a set of bills that would increase primary‑care investment, change payment models and remove patient cost‑sharing for primary care, after a presentation from a physician who helped design the proposals.
Dr. Wayne Altman, chair of the Department of Family Practice at Tufts Medical Center, told the board the legislation aims to “double primary‑care investment,” shift from fee‑for‑service to a prospective monthly payment for practices, remove copayments and deductibles for primary care, and provide financing for a Primary Care Stabilization Fund that would include commercially insured patients. He described “transformers” — practice services such as behavioral‑health integration, care management and enhanced access — that the payment model would incentivize.
Board members expressed support for the effort and discussed how municipal endorsement could help generate momentum with the state delegation. The board voted to endorse the PC4U package (board motion referenced three bills by their meeting citations) and added a friendly amendment recommending that the City Council also consider taking a similar endorsement. The motion was made and seconded; members present voted yes and the motion carried.
Board members and presenters discussed next steps including outreach to the Worcester legislative delegation and to City Council committees to brief them on the proposals and to coordinate local endorsements. Dr. Altman said multiple municipalities and providers have endorsed the bills and that supporters expect to press for state action in the 2026 legislative session.
The board’s endorsement directs staff to share the board’s position with the City Council and to coordinate invitations for the presenter to brief the City Council or its public‑health committee. The endorsement is a formal expression of support from the Board of Health but does not itself change local law.
