Issue Position: Fight for Health Care in the Valley

Issue Position

I will continue my work to improve our health care system, not devastate it by:

Lowering costs

Insurance premiums on the ACA marketplace in Stanislaus County rose 24% in 2018. We must provide short-term relief by increasing competition on the marketplaces by letting people buy into Medicare, curtailing prescription drug prices, and bringing more people into the marketplace. America spends far more on health care than any other country, but we're less healthy. The big drug companies jack up prices on life-saving medicines that can be bought for a fraction of the cost in Canada. And for too many working people, premiums, co-pays, and deductibles are so expensive that they can't even afford to use the insurance they have. It's time to attack high costs by allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices and doing more to pay providers for the quality of care, not just the volume.

Expanding access

San Francisco has almost twice as many doctors per capita as the Central Valley. I hear from folks all the time about the lack of doctors in the Valley. That's why I'm working to make sure we attract more doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals right here in our community. I also believe long term we should double down on the part of our health care system that works best by opening Medicare up to all Americans.

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