Advocacy

There is much to advocate for nowadays. All our patients struggle in one or more ways with access to healthcare. Unfortunately, the right to quality healthcare and healthcare equity are under fire now more than ever. This past spring the WFCC formed an Advocacy Committee.

We are celebrating passage of the PROTECT Act this summer, which among other limits and protections, provides sanctuary from immigration agents within Massachusetts schools, childcare facilities, and healthcare programs-- including the free medical programs.
The WFCC has sent statements, letters and public testimony to our state and national politicians advocating for the PROTECT Act, the Safe Welcome Act, against Medicaid budget cuts, decreases and restrictions in Medicaid coverage, federal actions that further threaten our healthcare provider workforce and other important topics that impact healthcare access and equity as well as basic human rights. We met with local and state politicians and formed advocacy partnerships.
In October, we are meeting with Senators Warren’s and Markey’s Boston teams to discuss and strategize regarding some of our patients’ concerns including loss of Temporary Protected Status, expansion of Public Charge and difficulties with primary care access. Our medical students will take lead roles in these meetings. And we are just getting started.

If you are interested in advocacy regarding topics that impact our free medical program patients, please sign up below and we will add you to the Advocacy email list. For example, we may ask you to contact your representatives regarding specific timely topics, inform you of ongoing activities or ask for your help in other ways. Signing up for the Advocacy email list does NOT commit you to doing any work, and you can unsubscribe at any time. Thank you!

Rachel McColl Vuolo, MD FAAP
WFCC Advocacy Committee Chair

[Left to Right] Apurva Vaddamani, Sarah Park, Dr. Rachel Vuolo, Ashish Cowlagi, Nick Steudel

Advocacy Starts Here:

WFCC Leaders Meet MA Senators Staff

On October 9th, 2026, members of the WFCC Board, Dr. Rachel Vuolo (WFCC Advocacy Committee Chair) and Ashish Cowlagi (WFCC CIO), and student leaders, Sarah Park (M2 at UMass Chan Medical School), Apurva Vaddamani (M2 at UMass Chan/Lahey Health), and Nick Steudel (M3 at UMass Chan/Lahey Health), traveled to Boston to meet with Senator Ed Markey and Senator Elizabeth Warren’s teams to convey WFCC’s desire to aid the senators in their healthcare policy efforts. Dave Runyan (WFCC President), Deborah Aditays (WFCC Board of Directors), Victoria Xiao (M4 at UMass Chan), and Kritisha Agrawal (Pre-Med Volunteer) joined virtually.

Three topics were at the core of our discussion: (1) Temporary protected status and Senate Bill S4814, which would extend TPS protections for Haitians through early 2029, (2) Difficulty with primary care access, and (3) Why access to Medicaid matters and how federal expansion of Public Charge harms our patients.

The Advocacy Team compiled research with data on how the changes to public policy affect the patients that come through the doors of our 7 clinics, as well as applicable patient stories that augment the need to prioritize these topics. The WFCC team was greatly appreciative of the senators’ staff making time to meet with us, and share the commonalities in our interests to better the lives of our community members.

We at WFCC prioritize advocating for our patients, inside of our clinics and beyond, and this meeting was the first step to making strides towards creating a more equitable and accessible healthcare system.

WFCC Team with Aiden Hall, Senator Elizabeth Warren's Regional Director for Worcester County

[Left to Right)Aiden Hall (Regional Director for Sen. Warren) , Nick Steudel, Ashish Cowlagi, Dr. Rachel Vuolo, Sarah Park, Apurva Vaddamani

WFCC Team with Senator Ed Markey's Staff

[Left to Right] Row 1: Liam Horsman (Regional Director), Innocent Wozufia (Aide to Sen. Markey), Ashish Cowlagi, Dr. Rachel Vuolo, Nick Steudel Row 2: Leslie Rodriguez (Intern), Nancy Afonso (Senior Aide to Sen. Markey), Sarah Park, Apurva Vaddamani

Resources to Share with Patients/ For Provider Knowledge

Major Update

(Last updated: 8/28/2026)

The City of Worcester H&HS created a site for preparing for MassHealth insurance changes coming to Massachusetts. Link here: https://www.worcesterma.gov/hhs/masshealth-insurance-changes

Due to federal legislation, there will be changes to insurance for MassHealth members in Massachusetts. Here is a list of relevant resources for preparing for these changes:

MassHealth: This MassHealth webpage was designed to help members and those who work with members stay up to date on the federal changes coming to Medicaid.

The webpage will be kept current and includes:

Relevant information on the federal government’s new work and education requirements, as well as more frequent renewals;
NEW: A screener to help individuals determine if work and education requirements apply to them;
Details on where members can get help over the phone, online, or in their community; and,
NEW: A communications toolkit with flyers, posters, and social media graphics in multiple languages for partners to help spread the word!

The City of Worcester H&HS: The City of Worcester Department of Health and Human Services has launched a centralized webpage that will serve as the primary landing page for information related to these upcoming MassHealth insurance changes, including updates, resources, and guidance for patients and community organizations.

Massachusetts Health Connector: In Worcester, MA, you can enroll in health insurance through the official state marketplace Massachusetts Health Connector, or via in-person navigators at local health centers and state offices (see below).

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