Issue Position: Health Care Access
Issue Position
In 2018, for the first time in recent memory, the Washington State Senate heard legislation to establish a framework for a universal health care system in our state. David's unflagging advocacy and sponsorship of SB 5701, which would have laid the groundwork for universal health care, was instrumental in spurring this new movement, and helped lead the Legislature to allocate significant funding for a study of universal health care systems. David will continue to support the dramatic expansion of coverage that has come through Apple Health and the HealthPlanFinder exchange, to oppose efforts to deny healthcare due to pre-existing conditions, and to fight for universal health care as a matter of right for every single Washingtonian and every single American.
As a Senate Ways & Means Committee member, David secured funding for key investments in the health of our community. The Legislature accepted an amendment he sponsored to add more than $1 million in state and federal funding under Bright Futures -- a nationally recognized initiative to ensure that all children receive the right medical screens at an early age. The provision will allow many low-income kids to receive appropriate autism screens by their 18th month. David has helped secure funding for Children's Hospital and is supporting Neighborcare Health with their innovative new community clinic at Northgate. In 2018, he included in the capital budget more than $65 million for community mental health beds, and about $20 million for patient safety enhancements, increased capacity, and renovations to Eastern and Western state hospitals.
David has been a strong supporter of women's health and protecting reproductive choice. In 2018, he sponsored a bill, part of a package focused on "Putting the Women of Washington First," that will shed light on sexual harassers by removing barriers to lawsuits created by non-disclosure agreements. Other bills in the package will provide for equal pay for women, expand access to reproductive health care, help prevent sexual harassment, and expand breast cancer care. For this and other work, David was recognized with an "A" rating from NARAL Pro-Choice Washington.
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