Issue Position: Healthcare

Issue Position

As a member of the Appropriations Committee, Ed was a strong supporter of the Babies Can't Wait program, allowing infants and toddlers with developmental disabilities to receive costly, life changing therapies up to three times per week.

In this role, Ed helped improve funding for 2-3 person host homes for people with developmental disabilities, allocating more dollars to the homes where care is provided, rather than the overhead of large-business care management organizations.

Ed voted to provide more than $60 million per year in constitutionally protected funding for Georgia's statewide trauma care network. Ed also supported House Bill 47 that reduced healthcare costs by allowing Georgians to purchase health insurance across state lines.

While opposed to the legalization of recreational marijuana, Ed supported Haleigh's Hope Act in 2015, allowing Georgians to legally possess low-THC cannabis oil to address serious conditions such as uncurable seizures and nausea caused by intense chemotherapy.
Ed played a key committee role in negotiating the expansion of the scope of practice for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses and Physician's Assistants, allowing them to provide access to care to more Georgians under the supervision of a licensed physician.

Source