Blue Cross flips on colonoscopy policy

Also: Newton teachers cry foul over Facebook posts; a breakdown of Healey's budget plan [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  January 25, 2024 ☁️ Cloudy, with a high near 51 and some light rain this morning. Good Morning Boston, We're rounding out the week on [a damp note]( though this afternoon is your best chance to get outside for some relatively warm and dry weather. (Keep an eye on Sunday's forecast for [the possibility of shovel-worthy snow]( But first, let's get to the news: - The Massachusetts gas tax provides a big chunk of revenue for the state's transportation infrastructure, from roads to the MBTA. So, what are we going to do if and when it dries up? Gov. Maura Healey wants to have some firm ideas on her desk by the end of the year. While announcing her new budget proposal yesterday, Healey shared that she signed [an executive order]( to create a "Transportation Financing Task Force." The group, which will include the state's top transportation and economic leaders, is expected to work on a long-term plan for funding the state's transportation systems. - Why now? Massachusetts will require all new cars sold locally to be electric [starting in 2035]( and the state is already [offering residents financial incentives]( to make the switch. But that transition means less people will stop at gas stations and pay the 24-cent-a-gallon tax. Meanwhile, the rise of remote work is chipping away at both the gas tax and MBTA fare revenue. T leaders have [not-so-subtly hinted]( they need new dedicated state funding streams to climb out of their financial hole and repair the system after years of neglect. - What Healey's saying: "We need a plan for a sustainable, equitable transportation funding financing mechanism in Massachusetts. And after years — as I've said before — of seeing that can kicked down the road, we're taking action to deliver." - What are the alternatives? In recent years, Democrats in the State House tried to pilot a few ideas, including [a tax on "vehicle miles traveled"]( and [different forms of congestion pricing](. Both were vetoed by former Republican Gov. Charlie Baker. - Where does Healey stand? Her office isn't saying much about her stance on the possible alternatives, but we should get a better idea by the end of the year, when the task force's report is due. - Not so fast: Massachusetts' largest health insurer, Blue Cross Blue Shield, will [stop enforcing its new policy to restrict the use of anesthesia during colonoscopies]( following backlash from doctors. - What was the issue? As WBUR's Priyanka Dayal McCluskey explains, the dispute was over the level of sedation that would be covered for patients during colonoscopies and other similar procedures. Doctors and patients often prefer anesthesia, which puts patients to sleep. But Blue Cross leaders argued many patients don’t need anesthesia and could be examined while sedated, but still awake. As a result, the health insurer said they'd only pay for anesthesia under certain criteria. That move [drew outrage from doctors]( who worried the policy could discourage patients from getting the unpleasant but important exams. - Now what? Blue Cross is halting the policy indefinitely. Leaders say they'll give a 90-day heads-up before making any changes. - Closing: Massachusetts plans to shut down MCI-Concord, its oldest men's prison, this summer due to a steep decline in the state's prison population and the aging nature of the facility. [As WBUR's Deborah Becker reports]( the nearly 300 men currently at the medium-security prison, which first opened in 1878, will be moved to other facilities. - By the numbers: Massachusetts' prison population has dropped by nearly half over the past decade. There are now just over 6,000 people in state custody, compared to 11,400 people in 2013. - Opening: After a [three-year renovation project]( the Boston Public Library's Faneuil Branch in Brighton's Oak Square is [reopening today]( — and it's almost 5,000 square feet bigger. Officials say the renovation expanded the library to a total of 11,400 square feet, added a new children's room and modernized the main entrance. - Up next: The BPL's branches in Chinatown, Egleston, Fields Corner and South End are also slated for glow ups. P.S.— Want to play an NPR Tiny Desk concert? The 2024 Tiny Desk Contest is now [open for entries]( (and WBUR's own Amelia Mason is on [this year's panel of judges](. If you're an aspiring musician, [click here]( to take the quiz to see if you're eligible to enter and [then read the instructions]( for making your video submission. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Newton school district shares anti-strike posts on official social media]( While there was some progress Wednesday in the negotiations that have kept schools closed for four days for more than 11,000 Newton students, school is canceled again on Thursday and teachers are crying foul over a series of posts on the Newton Public Schools official Facebook account. [Read more.]( [Newton school district shares anti-strike posts on official social media]( While there was some progress Wednesday in the negotiations that have kept schools closed for four days for more than 11,000 Newton students, school is canceled again on Thursday and teachers are crying foul over a series of posts on the Newton Public Schools official Facebook account. [Read more.]( [Healey proposes new $58 billion budget: What you need to know]( The proposal comes amid falling state tax collections, and projections of essentially flat revenue growth over the next fiscal year. "We are tightening our belts. I want to be clear about that," Healey said at a press conference Tuesday. [Read more.]( [Healey proposes new $58 billion budget: What you need to know]( The proposal comes amid falling state tax collections, and projections of essentially flat revenue growth over the next fiscal year. "We are tightening our belts. I want to be clear about that," Healey said at a press conference Tuesday. [Read more.]( ['Beyond terrible': With overflow shelters full, families huddle in cars and at Logan]( More than 590 families are on the waitlist for the Massachusetts family shelter system. Recently created overflow sites have space for fewer than half of them. One homeless advocate called the situation "barbaric." [Read more.]( ['Beyond terrible': With overflow shelters full, families huddle in cars and at Logan]( More than 590 families are on the waitlist for the Massachusetts family shelter system. Recently created overflow sites have space for fewer than half of them. One homeless advocate called the situation "barbaric." [Read more.]( [Housing is now unaffordable for a record half of all U.S. renters, study finds]( A new Harvard analysis finds people across income levels got squeezed by rent hikes during the pandemic. The market has lost millions of low-rent places, and new construction is mostly high-end. [Read more.]( [Housing is now unaffordable for a record half of all U.S. renters, study finds]( A new Harvard analysis finds people across income levels got squeezed by rent hikes during the pandemic. The market has lost millions of low-rent places, and new construction is mostly high-end. [Read more.]( [Climate Superfund Act would make oil companies pay for climate damages in Vermont]( After a year of historic flooding, some Vermont lawmakers and environmental advocates are pushing for the state to create a new program similar to the federal Superfund program to pay for climate damages with money from big oil companies. [Read more.]( [Climate Superfund Act would make oil companies pay for climate damages in Vermont]( After a year of historic flooding, some Vermont lawmakers and environmental advocates are pushing for the state to create a new program similar to the federal Superfund program to pay for climate damages with money from big oil companies. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Milder temperatures this weekend means it's a great time to venture out. [Check out our list of five things to do around Boston]( including "Casual Fridays" at the BSO, a hands-on stained glass exhibit at the MFA and a mini-guide to the area's best hot chocolate. - NPR has picked former Wikimedia Foundation chief Katherine Maher to replace outgoing CEO John Lansing. Here's [a closer look at who Maher is and the challenges she will inherit]( running the network. - In her newly released movie "Origins," writer-director Ava DuVernay attempts to dramatize the ideas behind Isabel Wilkerson’s nonfiction bestseller "Caste," an exploration of social stratification and hate-fueled cultural hierarchies. But [as critic Sean Burns writes in this review]( the film is also about the origin of the book, "which isn’t nearly as interesting as what’s on the pages." - Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court recently ruled people under 21 cannot be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. [In this commentary]( Katy Naples-Mitchell writes the decision offers a template for how the science of brain development can shape the treatment of young people in the criminal system. What We're Reading 📚 - The Town That Took Downtown Renewal to the Next Level ([Bloomberg CityLab]( - A Black preacher disappeared from Norwich in 1890. His alleged killer confessed, but was never charged ([Vermont Public]( - Why A ‘Lay Low’ DEI Strategy Is Especially Bad Right Now ([Forbes](  Tell Me Something Good [Jon Stewart will return to 'The Daily Show' as a weekly guest host]( The gig will go on through the 2024 elections, according to Comedy Central. It's a throwback for Stewart, who spent 16 years hosting the show. [Read more.]( [Jon Stewart will return to 'The Daily Show' as a weekly guest host]( The gig will go on through the 2024 elections, according to Comedy Central. It's a throwback for Stewart, who spent 16 years hosting the show. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common looks at [the changing approach to mental health in the medical field]( with WBUR's Priyanka Dayal McCluskey. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [Boston 🤝 Saturday Night Live.]( 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 🔎 Explore [WBUR's Field Guide]( stories, events and more. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news    Want to change how you receive these emails? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences.](  I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. Unsubscribe from all WBUR editorial newsletters [here](.  Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here.]( Copyright © 2023 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.