News Briefs 8/20/26

Healey Announces Public Listening Sessions to Lower Health Care Costs for Families and Small Businesses

The Healey-Driscoll Administration has announced a series of six public listening sessions as it moves forward with recommendations to lower health care costs for Massachusetts families and small businesses. Hosted by the Division of Insurance (DOI), the virtual sessions will gather input from patients, providers, insurers, employers and other stakeholders to help shape new state regulations aimed at lowering costs and stabilizing insurance premiums.

The sessions are a next step in implementing recommendations released this month by Governor Healey’s Health Care Affordability Working Group, which brought together health care providers, insurers, employers, labor and consumer advocates to identify immediate and long-term ways to make health care more affordable.

“Health care costs are too high, and they’re putting real pressure on families and small businesses across Massachusetts,” said Governor Maura Healey. “We created our Health Care Affordability working group and brought together patients, providers, insurers and employers to identify ways to lower costs, and now we’re moving those recommendations forward. These listening sessions are an important next step in delivering meaningful relief.”

“If we want to make health care more affordable, we need to hear directly from the people who are paying these bills and navigating the system every day,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “These sessions will help us get the details right as we move forward with changes to lower costs for residents and small businesses.”

The listening sessions will focus on two recommendations from the Governor’s Health Care Affordability Working Group that DOI is moving forward:

• Reducing Out-of-Network Costs: Developing new standards to protect patients and reduce excessive out-of-network health care costs.

• Stabilizing the Small Business and Individual Markets: Exploring changes to strengthen the individual and small group insurance market and help moderate premiums.

DOI will hold all six listening sessions virtually. Additional information, including topics and registration details for each session, will be available as the dates approach:

Weds., Sept. 9 at 11 a.m.

Thurs., Oct. 1 at 10 a.m.

Mon., Oct. 5 at 10 a.m.

Mon., Oct. 19 at 10 a.m.

Mon., Nov. 2 at 10 a.m.

Thurs., Nov. 5 at 10 a.m.

Patients, consumer advocates, health care providers, insurers, employers and other interested stakeholders are encouraged to participate. For more information, see Division of Insurance Listening Sessions on Out-of-Network Costs and Listening Sessions on Stabilizing Insurance Markets to Drive Down Premium Costs.

Chamber of Commerce to Host End of Summer Bash on August 30

The Winthrop Chamber of Commerce is kicking off the final days of summer with its End of Summer Bash on Sunday, August 30, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at French Square.

The community is invited to enjoy an afternoon of fun, food, shopping, and entertainment with 25+ vendors featuring delicious food, beer, gifts, crafts, and more.

There will be plenty for the kids to enjoy, including a bouncy house, pie-eating contest, balloon twisters, shell painting, and other activities. A DJ will be on hand to keep the party going with music throughout the afternoon.

The event is free and open to the public, making it a great way for families, friends, and neighbors to come together and celebrate the end of summer in Winthrop.

ANNUAL PURPLE BOW CAMPAIGN TO HONOR OVERDOSE VICTIMS

Volunteers across Winthrop and surrounding cities will tie 1,200 purple bows to lamp posts and poles as part of the 5th annual Adopt-A-Pole for Overdose Awareness campaign. The campaign runs from Aug. 20 through International Overdose Awareness Day on Aug. 31, with bows staying up through Recovery Month in September.

Each purple bow includes a nametag personalized with the name of a loved one lost to overdose. The goal of the campaign is to raise awareness, end overdose, promote non-stigmatized remembrance, and support grieving families and friends.

The official kickoff takes place Thursday, Aug. 20, at 12 p.m. at North Suffolk Community Services’ Recovery on the Harbor, located at 979 Bennington St. in East Boston.

‘ROCK OF AGES’ Brings the 1980s Sunset Strip to North Shore Music Theatre

Set in 1987 on Hollywood’s infamous Sunset Strip, ROCK OF AGES tells the story of Drew, a boy from South Detroit, and Sherrie, a small-town girl chasing her dreams of stardom. When their paths collide at the legendary Bourbon Room, sparks fly, but their love and ambitions are tested as the Strip faces destruction from greedy developers determined to silence the music.

Bursting with heart, humor, and pure rock ‘n’ roll energy, this high-octane musical features the iconic hits of Bon Jovi, Journey, Foreigner, Poison, and more. ROCK OF AGES is a larger-than-life celebration of love, music, and the wild spirit of the 1980s that will have audiences singing along and ready to rock all night!

Rock Of Ages is playing at North Shore Music Theatre through August 23, 2026. Performances run Tuesday through Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8:00 p.m., with matinees on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2:00 p.m.

For tickets and information, call (978) 232-7200, visit nsmt.org, or visit the box office at 54 Dunham Rd., Beverly, MA.