Representative Dylan Fernandes has served Falmouth, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket in the legislature since 2017 where he has focused on combating climate change, advancing affordable housing, and addressing the opioid and heroin epidemic. He serves as the Vice Chair of the Committee on Tourism, Arts & Cultural Development, and has seats on the Committee on Ways and Means, the Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities & Energy, and the Committee on Global Warming and Climate Change.
Healthcare is a human right: everyone deserves access to reliable and affordable healthcare. In Massachusetts, while we have the highest rate of insured residents in the country, there is still work we can do to make our healthcare system work better for everyone.
All women deserve the right to make their own decisions about their own bodies. The extremist Republican attack on abortion, which led to the decision overturning Roe v. Wade, is an outright infringement on women’s rights and freedoms. Here in Massachusetts, we’re doubling down to insulate our state and ensure that abortions remain safe and legal for all those who seek them. We passed legislation in June that protects women fleeing red states to seek an abortion in the Commonwealth. The bill also safeguards health care professionals who provide abortion or gender-affirming care, expands access to emergency contraception, and requires insurance companies to cover abortion medication or procedures without deductibles or copays.
Craniofacial medical conditions impact the entire body, including the ability to eat, speak properly, and have normal jaw function. Untreated patients experience chronic pain, severe psychological and social issues, and have limited options to employment opportunities due to abnormal appearance and speech difficulty. While there are medical solutions to craniofacial disorders, the out-of-pocket costs to patients are enormous, and can total over $100,000 per person with a lifetime of revisions and specialist visits.
I filed legislation, H.1153, to ensure that medically necessary services to treat craniofacial disorders are covered under medical insurance policies.
Mental health parity has long been enshrined in Massachusetts law, but we have failed to fully achieve it. This June, we closed that gap with a comprehensive mental health bill that expands services and breaks down barriers to care. The legislation increases youth access to care, implements a 988 crisis hotline, expands state data reporting, and address emergency room boarding overflows.
This is particularly important for our geographically isolated district that has enormous mental health challenges but often too few resources to support our residents.