Chris Gabrieli on Health Care

Apply subsidized healthcare to municipal employees

GABRIELI: Good benefits is an important part of state jobs, it's part of how people are recruited to it. I think we're pretty close to the right place. But I will focus on municipal employees; the rate of growth on their healthcare costs is going much faster than state employees. I think that we could sit at the table, not be antagonistic, but sit at the table with collective bargaining, and say we need to get more of this money to work in our classrooms, out on the street in form of policemen and firemen, and so we've got to be smart about it. The group health insurance group that represents the state employees, they do some really smart things. I think that that kind of constructive smart approach can be used more broadly.

New healthcare legislation is a good first step

A: It's a good first step. It helps increase access to health care for Massachusetts residents, and the next Governor is going to play a major role in figuring out the details to make it work. Now we need to turn our attention to the out-of-control cost of health care. As governor, I'll work to bring down the cost of health care for Massachusetts families, starting with making sure that big companies are paying their fair share.

Raise employer uninsured healthcare assessment above $295