In the Preamble to the U. S. Constitution the Founding Fathers suggested that “Promoting the General Welfare” is a key component to the Foundation of our Constitutional Republic called the United States of America. The General Welfare can’t be defined any simpler than to mean that American Citizens’ Health and Well-Being is a priority if not a Right. As a State Senate candidate in 2018 I knocked many, many doors and the most common concern from voters in Franklin and St. Louis Counties was Healthcare.
Healthcare quality, cost and coverage has not only effected my family but many that I know who suffer (or have succumbed to) cancer, heart disease, ALS, MS, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, Parkinson’s and many other Health issues. I believe that we have an obligation as a society to do our best to help people to be as healthy as possible as well as make sure that they have access to care when they’re not.
I will work to reform and remake our Healthcare System to the extent that we can at the State Level. Here are some of the policies that will promote and support.
- Accept Medicaid Expansion. This would provide coverage to hundreds of thousands of Missourians while being 90% funded by Federal funding. Rural hospitals are closing because of rising costs and covering the costs of poor patients unable to pay for services. This would also help address a variety issues including the mounting mental health crisis due to hopelessness and despair in our rural communities that’s leading to an epidemic of suicide and addition. (34 other States have accepted Medicaid expansion)
- Sponsor or support legislation to protect patients from being denied coverage due to a pre-existing condition. (17 States have already passed some kind of legislation designed to protect patients from the possibility of the ACA being repealed eliminating the pre-existing condition protections on the federal level)
- Reinstate coverage for over 80,000 seniors with single-eligibility that were dropped from the MORx program which helps cover prescription drug costs for our seniors on a fixed income.
- Ensure that women Statewide have access to safe, affordable, quality Reproductive Healthcare.
- Protect our children, elderly and infirm from attempts to eliminate mandatory vaccinations which are proven to prevent dangerous, crippling and sometimes fatal diseases that ravaged American communities in the past.
- Institute a Prescription Drug Monitoring Program to ensure that legitimate chronic pain sufferers receive their medication without hesitation while also being watchful for some who might be abusing medication usage. (the other 49 States already have PDMP’s in place while Missouri has a number of independent programs operating without coordination around the State)
- Discover why Missouri has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the Country and start doing something to address the issue.