Health care access
Affordable, nearby medical care and health supplies for residents who face cost or access barriers.
Residents ask for free or low-cost care close to home, including mobile clinics, vision care and CPR/AED training, with growing worries about insurance coverage.
Theme grouped and summary written with AI from this theme's resident ideas.
81 ideas across three cycles
| Cycle | Ideas | Share of all ideas | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | 27 | 2.2% | 19 of 20 |
| 2025–26 | 30 | 2.5% | 18 of 20 |
| 2026–27 | 24 | 1.8% | 18 of 20 |
Needs that keep coming back
Free or low-cost local clinics
Residents ask for more free or low-cost clinics and doctors in neighborhoods, especially for uninsured people and areas with long waits or health disparities.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Mobile health units and portable screenings
Residents propose vans, pop-up clinics and portable equipment that bring screenings and care to underserved neighborhoods, schools and community centers.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
CPR and AED training and access
Residents want free community CPR classes, and in 2026-27 also AEDs in public places, so bystanders can respond to emergencies.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Eye exams and glasses
Residents ask for affordable eye care and glasses, including for children, low-income neighborhoods and people with poor vision.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Help with health insurance and costs
Residents ask for help paying for or keeping health insurance, especially for low-income people and immigrants facing coverage loss.
Raised in 2025–26, 2026–27
2024–25
Ideas centered on COVID testing, masks and air purifiers, along with mobile screening vans, needle and sharps services, and CPR classes.
2025–26
Ideas broadened to neighborhood pharmacies, urgent care, mobile eye and dental units, and keeping people enrolled in MassHealth and other coverage amid insurance uncertainty.
2026–27
Many ideas were short or general, while specific asks covered AEDs and CPR, portable screening kits, help with insurance and emergency transport costs, and a free clinic for homeless residents.
New in 2026–27
New or growing asks include AEDs in public places and a registry of their locations, portable screening kits for community center clinics, help with emergency transport costs, and a free clinic for homeless residents.
Funding so far
No winning project funded by resident vote relates to this theme, so every recurring ask remains unaddressed: free clinics, mobile units, eye care, CPR/AED training and insurance help.
Projects are linked to themes by matching each project's description to the themes; this is not an official City classification.
No winning project has addressed this theme yet.
Departments that often lead this work
- Boston Public Health Commission
- Age Strong Commission
Suggested with AI; not an official assignment of responsibility.
Ideas in Health care access
81 ideas
2024–25: 27 · 2025–26: 30 · 2026–27: 24
- Health care funding for low-income families and more foodThe resident asks for help for children with illnesses, more free care funding for low-income people, and more food for people who are hungry.2026–27City-wide
- Health and wellnessThe resident submits a general idea about health and wellness, without further detail.2026–27City-wide
- Health and wellness educationThe resident asks for health and wellness education.2026–27City-wide
- Health, education and food needsResident lists health, education and food as priorities, without specific details.2026–27City-wide
- Community pharmacy in pharmacy desertsSponsor a public-private partnership to open a community pharmacy in areas without one, since vulnerable residents face over an hour of transit to reach a pharmacy.2025–26DorchesterSubmitted in Spanish
- Reopen Carney with pediatric urgent careResident asks to reopen the Carney with an emergency or urgent care unit equipped for sick and injured children, since nearby pediatric emergency departments are overcrowded.2025–26Dorchester
- Easier access to health careResident asks for easier access to health care.2025–26City-wide
- Health insurance funds for low-income and immigrantsResident asks for money to help low-income people and immigrants pay for health insurance.2025–26City-wide
- City-run pharmacies in underserved neighborhoodsResident asks for city-run pharmacies, citing pharmacy closures in Black and brown communities that make affordable medicine and clinical help hard to reach.2025–26City-wide
- Accessible health and wellness resources for underserved communitiesResident asks for tools and resources supporting physical and mental wellness in underserved communities, to reduce preventable health issues and strengthen community connection.2025–26City-wide
- Community CPR/AED classes with BMCResident suggests community CPR and AED training classes in partnership with Boston Medical Center.2025–26Brighton
- Outreach team to keep residents enrolled in MassHealthResident proposes a small service corps under the mayor's office doing outreach at churches, city centers and door to door to keep people enrolled in MassHealth, given Medicaid uncertainty.2025–26City-wide
- Improve health services for all residentsImprove health services so all residents can be served, which would better protect low-income people.2025–26City-wide
- Expand hours at Hyde Park health care buildingResident asks the City to explore extending hours at an existing Hyde Park health building from 9-5 weekdays to 8am-10pm seven days a week so more people can be served.2025–26Hyde Park
- Invest in Health Safety Net and Boston Medical CenterResident asks that funds be used to strengthen the Health Safety Net, including Boston Medical Center, to cushion the effect of lost health insurance.2025–26City-wide
- More affordable health insurance and cost supportResident asks for more affordable health insurance and more help with health costs, since health care is sometimes unaffordable, to improve quality of life.2025–26City-wideSubmitted in Spanish
- Community health servicesResident asks for health services for the community to provide coverage.2025–26City-wideSubmitted in Spanish
- Better medical care, especially dental servicesResident asks for more health support and improved medical service, mainly dentists, to provide more medical services.2025–26City-wideSubmitted in Spanish
- More medical care in the neighborhoodResident asks for more medical care in their area so all community members can benefit.2025–26City-wide
- HealthResident submitted only the word 'health,' suggesting an interest in health-related services without further detail.2025–26East BostonSubmitted in Spanish