\u201cThe expectations for what Democrats can accomplish should be tempered by the fact that Donald Trump will still be in the White House,\u201d said Larry Levitt, executive vice president for health policy at KFF. \u201cHe has a veto pen. Apparently he has a veto hat as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Any legislation amounting to more than messaging will need the president\u2019s signature to become law. Or it will need enough Republican support in the Senate to reach the 67 votes needed to override his veto.<\/p>\n
McDonough thinks that\u2019s possible, despite the polarized Congress. <\/p>\n
\u201cRepublicans will be tested on whether they heard the message voters sent on Nov. 3,\u201d he said. \u201cIf they want to use what power they have left to block efforts to undo the damage they\u2019ve done, that will send a pretty strong message that will endure over the next couple of years.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/ESHUMLJVUJZEOKMY4Q2PN2F2RQ.jpg\")
A hat with the word “VETO” on it sits on the Resolute Desk as President Donald Trump spoke after signing an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House on Nov. 5.Alex Brandon\/AP Photo\/Alex Brandon<\/p>\n
Why it matters: This issue resonates deeply in Massachusetts. <\/p>\n
The state pioneered universal health care under Republican Governor Mitt Romney in 2006, passing the landmark law that became the model for Obamacare<\/a>. Massachusetts also established a Health Policy Commission, aimed at containing health costs, in 2012 under Romney\u2019s successor, Deval Patrick, a Democrat.<\/p>\n But two decades after the launch of \u201cRomneycare,\u201d costs continue to climb<\/a> on the Massachusetts Health Connector, even before the Trump administration cuts slated to take effect next year at MassHealth, the state Medicaid program. Premiums also are rising for employer-sponsored health plans and Medicare supplemental plans. <\/p>\n The state\u2019s largest health insurer, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, has scrapped several Medicare Advantage plans<\/a>, citing financial losses, forcing 20,000 seniors in the state to choose new higher-priced plans.<\/p>\n Overall health spending in Massachusetts grew 5.7 percent<\/a> per capita in 2024, the most recent increase documented by the state. It marked the fourth straight year that spending topped the health commission\u2019s 3.6 percent growth benchmark.<\/p>\n The pinch on seniors and business: That\u2019s been crippling for the state\u2019s working families and retirees on fixed incomes \u2014 but also for businesses, especially the many small employers that can\u2019t afford to self-insure.<\/p>\n \u201cOlder adults are really feeling the strain<\/a> as costs continue to rise, whether it be premiums, prescription drug prices, or everyday essentials,\u201d said Megan O\u2019Reilly, an AARP vice president who\u2019s worked on legislation to expand Medicare drug price negotiations and offer tax credits to family caregivers. <\/p>\n After salaries, health insurance is the biggest expense for small businesses, which need to offer affordable coverage to attract and retain workers, said Jon Hurst, president at the Retailers Association of Massachusetts.<\/p>\n \u201cWith the 13 percent average increases for January, some of these small businesses are literally looking at $50,000 annual premiums\u201d for family policies, Hurst said. \u201cIf you\u2019re continually paying double-digit premium increases and your sales aren\u2019t going up, you\u2019re going to go under.\u201d<\/p>\n Governor Healey\u2019s health care affordability working group<\/a> is expected to propose recommendations in February. It\u2019s been studying ways to cap prices on some medical procedures and boost spending on primary care to prevent more expensive health interventions. Would such steps substantially reduce health costs in the state? Stay tuned.<\/p>\n How we got here: The bigger swings will come from Washington, where major health care initiatives of the past \u2014 such as Obamacare in 2010 and Medicare back in 1965 \u2014 expanded coverage but failed to rein in costs.<\/p>\n