Healthcare

Too many families are struggling with rising healthcare costs. While the Affordable Care Act provided a tremendous step forward and brought uninsured levels to record lows, more work is needed to ensure access to health insurance, lower prescription drug prices, and ensure there will be enough quality providers to serve our communities. 

I am deeply concerned about the cost of prescription drugs and I am working to ensure life-saving prescriptions like insulin remain affordable for individuals whose lives depend on it. It starts with reigning in pharmaceutical companies who have benefited from laws that fail to protect consumers. I believe we can do more to ensure these companies are required to set pricing  in a way that doesn’t overburden consumers or result in sudden spikes in costs. We must also look at partnering with companies to fairly negotiate the costs of drugs for those who have Medi-Cal coverage, are veterans, or are covered by Medicare.

I also worked to expand mental health care access across our state, just as I did for first responders. Mental health services are often prohibitively expensive and the stigma associated with these services often prevents those who need help from seeking care.