Issue Position: Quality of Life

Issue Position

Universal Healthcare
I support universal healthcare coverage. Basic healthcare services should be a right not a privilege. All other free-market countries have had universal health care systems since 1972 -- only the United States has failed to recognize this as a moral imperative. I support moving toward a simplified, cost-efficient, single-payer Medicare for All system. I support negotiating for prescription medicine in bulk to help control healthcare costs. I will work to repeal the excise tax on employer-based health benefits and will certainly oppose any proposal to tax these benefits.
Preventative Health
Disease prevention and early detection are critical in managing healthcare costs. I support public education programs to encourage healthy nutrition and exercise habits and regular health screenings. I will work to dismantle the disease-care model that treats people by making them dependent on Big Pharma. I support policies to address the overuse of antibiotics in livestock.
Women's Reproductive Health
The Supreme Court of the United States ruled on the reproductive rights of women in in Roe v. Wade. A woman has the sovereign right to govern her own body and make choices regarding her personal reproductive health. A woman's right to make health decisions is not a policy matter. I will work for funding for and access to comprehensive women's health services. I will be loyal to Roe and oppose any legislation designed to deny women their bodily autonomy. I will oppose efforts to restrict or deny access to FDA-approved birth control methods. Access to birth control allows women to plan their families and to develop economic independence. Access to birth control correlates with outcomes including higher education attainment, reduced poverty, reduced divorce rates, and fewer abortions. I do not support the ruling in the Hobby Lobby Supreme Court case. Employers should not be able to arbitrarily determine what medical options are available to their employees. Women have the right to make the decision about what birth control option is best for their individual health needs. Many women rely on birth control medications for sustaining their health in treating conditions that they face. I support and advocate age-appropriate, accurate health and sex education in our schools.
Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Food Assistance
Many have said it, but it bears repeating: the best evidence of a country's morality is found in how it treats its most vulnerable citizens. I staunchly oppose any measure designed to weaken Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, or food assistance programs designed to assist the poor, including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Women, Infants and Children (WIC). I will fight against any premium increases, copayment increases, or reductions to Medicare benefits. I support Medicaid expansion in all U.S. states and territories and will oppose any funding cuts for the Medicaid program.

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