Ensuring Health Care Access

At some point, we all get sick and need to see a doctor. That’s why quality, affordable health care must be available to all Americans regardless of race, gender, health status, or economic circumstance.

In 2010, based on our success in Massachusetts, Congress passed the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In the years since, the ACA has made important strides in providing healthcare to all Americans; millions of young adults have gained healthcare through their parents’ insurance and three million seniors have received a discount on their prescription drugs.

For over a decade, we have fought to protect the ACA and attempts to undermine protections for those with pre-existing conditions, cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and threats to defund Planned Parenthood. Under President Biden, now is the time to strengthen and expand health care for all people. This is why I’m a proud cosponsor of the Medicare for All Act. We can’t go back to the days when simply being a woman was a pre-existing condition, or when health insurance companies could cancel your coverage when you got sick. I’m committed to fighting for equal access to healthcare. I’ve stood up to the Republicans’ attempts to bully Planned Parenthood, fought to make sure we don’t go backward on pre-existing conditions, and used my position on the Appropriations Committee to increase funding for the NIH. 

I was proud to introduce and pass the first bill ever to provide grant funding specifically for Postpartum Depression. I’ve worked with members from across the country to address the maternal mortality crisis and to make sure that mothers, regardless of race, creed, or income, have access to the vital services. I’ve also worked to pass a variety of bills dedicated to fighting the opioid crisis, including increased loan forgiveness to providers, increased attention on newborns suffering from addiction, and preventing abuse through e-prescription technology. 

I will keep fighting to expand and protect affordable, quality health care because in this country and around the world, health care should be a right, not a privilege.