Issue Position: Health Care/Mental Health

Issue Position

Health Care/Mental Health

I was proud to support legislation to expand Medicaid so that up to 400,000 of our fellow Virginians have access to affordable, basic health care. However, there remains much work to be done, especially to reduce the cost of health insurance premiums. One idea that I am actively exploring is the implementation of a reinsurance program here in Virginia. This program, which has been successfully implemented in several states, helps to stabilize marketplaces by insuring against unexpectedly high costs.

As a member of the General Assembly's Joint Commission on Health Care, I have worked on a wide range of health care and mental health issues. These include:

Opioids. Virginia has enacted several new laws and programs to combat our opioid crisis. In 2019, I introduced successful legislation (HB1743) aimed at encouraging pharmacists discuss proper drug disposal when presenting a new prescription. Two-thirds of prescriptions are not used, with the majority kept in the home. This increases the chance of misuse or accidental consumption by children.
Mental health reform. In the wake of the Virginia Tech tragedy, the General Assembly made important reforms to our mental health laws and increased the resources available to courts and case managers. We must continue to build on these reforms and fully fund these critical services.
Autism spectrum disorder. I co-patroned the successful effort to require health insurers to provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorder. The benefits of early intervention are enormous, not only to the child, but also in terms of the long-term cost savings to the state. No family should be put in the position of having to decide if they can afford appropriate treatment.
Smoking in restaurants ban. As a member of the General Laws Committee, I helped to pass the landmark legislation in 2009 that protects both the health of customers and workers by significantly limiting smoking in restaurants.

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