Issue Position: Health Care

Issue Position

All Virginians deserve access to quality healthcare. However, too many are paying more for it, and far too many working Virginians do not have access. Obesity rates are climbing at an alarming rate. Virginia's infant mortality rate is 32nd in the nation. Jennifer is committed to common solutions to these problems, such as focusing on prenatal care, long-term care for our seniors and making the health care system more affordable and easier for citizens to navigate and understand.

Expanding Access to Affordable Health Care Coverage

The rising cost of health care and health insurance has become a major burden for working families, seniors, and businesses across the Commonwealth. Jennifer has worked to ease this burden by:

* Sponsoring legislation to relieve some of the stress on health care safety net providers in Virginia, including community health centers and free clinics by facilitating support for private nonprofit foundation that fund basic insurance coverage for indigents.
* Co-sponsoring legislation allowing small businesses to pool together so that they may offer health care services to their employees. Forming these cooperatives will allow employers to offer health insurance to their employees at competitive rates.
* Supporting measures to protect health care coverage for laid-off workers while easing the strain of COBRA health benefits on small businesses statewide.
* Fighting efforts to cut Virginia's already lean Medicaid program.

Affordable Prescription Drugs

Advances in medical research have lead to longer healthier lives in America, mainly through medications. Yet the costs of prescription drugs are skyrocketing, forcing many Virginians to choose between their medication and food. In the House, Jennifer has supported efforts to help Virginians afford prescription drugs by:

* Co-sponsoring legislation to allow Virginia to join other states in the I-SaveRX initiative, which allows residents to safely take advantage of lower prescription drug prices offered in Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom; and
* Supporting legislation allowing local governments to participate in a new prescription drug discount program offered by the National Association of Counties that can save people hundreds of dollars a year on their prescription

Helping Family Caregivers Provide Long Term Care

As the Virginia population ages, long-term care is becoming more of a challenge for Virginia families. Jennifer has supported efforts to develop and fund a more integrated system of acute and long-term care for the elderly. Jennifer is also committed to sustaining and strengthening family care-giving as a complementary component of the service delivery system, and will work to increase grants available to caregivers of mentally or physically impaired relatives.

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