Issue Position: Affordable High Quality Healthcare

Issue Position

Karen is committed to bringing affordable and accessible high quality healthcare to all Marylanders. She has fought hard to ensure Marylanders have quality health care and that patients are put first. Karen led the way, passing Maryland's landmark "Right to Try' legislation, which allows terminally ill patients to use experimental treatment options. Karen also championed Frederick Memorial Hospital's new dental clinic, which expands access to care throughout our community.

Maryland ranks close to the bottom of all 50 states in patient satisfaction. Emergency room wait times are more than twice as long in Maryland than in any other state in the country. This is why Karen sponsored the Patient Bill of Rights to inform patients of their rights, and ensure patients are being treated with respect in Maryland hospitals.

Karen helped make Maryland the first state in the country to legally protect Planned Parenthood and passed legislation to help get minors into recovery programs and increase drug awareness in our schools. Karen sponsored legislation in 2018 that requires doctors to discuss the risks of opioids with patients when they are being prescribed. This is part of Maryland's ongoing fight against the opioid crisis that continues to take lives.

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