I believe that healthcare is a human right, and that all Americans should have access to affordable, quality healthcare. We also need to support our nurses, doctors and other professionals working to provide quality care in Riverside County, especially given the stress they have been under during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
My opponent Ken Calvert has consistently made decisions that increased our health insurance premiums in California, and in 2017, he voted to weaken protections for Americans with pre-existing health conditions. He has opposed legislation that would lower the cost of insulin used to treat people with diabetes. We need a leader who actually understands the way that laws impact our health insurance premiums, drug costs and access to healthcare.
Healthcare Priorities:
- Expand access to affordable, quality health insurance through the Affordable Care Act;
- Lower the Medicare eligibility age and allow Medicare to negotiate with drug companies to lower drug costs;
- Support healthcare policies that reform our broken healthcare systems to prioritize people over price-gouging insurance corporations;
- Oppose Republican efforts to cut funding for Medicare and Medicaid and to privatize these vital programs;
- Support efforts to strengthen and expand Medicaid home- and community-based services in order to help seniors and others in need of long-term care services remain in their homes and communities.
- Support price transparency efforts to ensure healthcare providers charge fair rates for the same procedure.
We need to address racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare, particularly in our lower-income Black, Latino, and Native American communities. We should expand the In Home Supportive Services program, recruit and retain more caregivers and dedicate the funding necessary to provide our seniors and disabled with in-home care. Those who opt for care in nursing homes or similar settings should get quality care, with high standards for staffing and safety.
