image description — Ecu-Health Care's Melissa Montoya, left, Karen Baumbach and Jessica Horn pose with the Health Connector's Executive Director Audrey Morse Gasteier, third from let, on the Grand Staircase at the State House.

North Adams Navigators Honored for Enrolling Residents In Affordable Health Plans

03:27PM / Wednesday, January 22, 2025Print Story | Email Story

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Health Connector joined lawmakers at the State House to recognize representatives from community Navigator organizations, including Ecu-Health Care of North Adams, for their work to enroll residents into affordable Health Connector plans in advance of the upcoming deadline for Open Enrollment, which is Jan. 23.

Free, local help is available in-person and in multiple languages for residents applying for a plan with Ecu-Health Care, which serves Northern Berkshire, and other Navigator organizations across the commonwealth.

"Massachusetts requires everyone to have health insurance, so if you don’t have coverage, now is the time to enroll," said Audrey Morse Gasteier, the executive director of the Massachusetts Health Connector. "The Health Connector provides help paying for coverage for many people, which means residents can get a plan that gives them access to the care and services they need. We are here to help enroll anyone without health insurance so they can kick off the new year with the peace of mind that comes with affordable, high-quality health coverage."

Most people who apply for coverage through the Health Connector qualify for ConnectorCare, which makes coverage more affordable through lower premiums and co-pays, and the elimination of deductibles.

ConnectorCare plans are only available through the Health Connector and provide no-cost prescriptions for chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension. A two-year pilot program started in 2024 expands the income eligibility to the program, with income limits for 2025 plans at $75,300 for an individual and $156,000 for a family of four.

People can apply for ConnectorCare or other Health Connector coverage at MAhealthconnector.org, which also includes information on community Navigator locations. Ecu-Health Care is located on the North Adams Regional Hospital campus and can be reached at 413-663-8711.

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GOP Senatorial Candidate Deaton Pledges Independence in North Adams Campaign Stop

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:31PM / Wednesday, October 28, 2026

GOP candidate John Deaton speaks to local residents about his positions during a campaign stop on Tuesday. The attorney says he's running on the GOP ticket but his stance is firmly independent.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — U.S. Senate candidate John Deaton was in the Berkshires on Tuesday as part of a statewide listening tour to hear residents' concerns ahead of next week's election.

His tour over a couple days included stops across Western Mass, including Greenfield, Pittsfield, Lee, and South Hadley.

Although Deaton is running as the Republican nominee against longtime Democratic incumbent Edward Markey, he said he identifies as an independent and he chose to run as a "non-Trump" Republican because he saw no viable path to victory as an independent candidate.

The attorney said he reached that conclusion after polling as an independent and finding that the Republican nominee was projected to receive approximately 30 percent of the vote, while the Democratic nominee was expected to receive about 40 percent.

"There's a lot of things we can do if you just put people over politics. I'm not going to be loyal to a person, i.e., President Trump, or anyone else … I'm not going to be loyal to a party. I'm not going to be loyal to a political agenda," he said.

"I'm only going to be loyal to people and if you take that attitude, then you can work with any president. You can work with any party in power … I would just ask people to vote for the best candidate in each race. Don't go by party."

Deaton kicked off his trip to Berkshire County at the North Adams American Legion where he heard from several people, particularly those expressing grievances over the North Adams Housing Authority's high rise on Ashland Street.

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