Issue Position: Texas Health Crisis

Issue Position

Because Senator Judith Zaffirini strongly believes health care is a right, not a privilege, she champions expanding access to quality health and human services, especially for the very young, the very old, the very poor, persons with disabilities, and veterans.

This means strong support of Medicaid expansion, the Affordable Care Act, and state legislation banning health insurance policies that exclude persons with
preexisting conditions. What's more, as a key member of the Higher Education Committee, Senator Zaffirini advocates for increased commitments to medical education, including not only MDs, but also physician assistants, nurses and nurse practitioners, and CRNAs.

As insurance premiums, deductibles, and prescription drug costs keep rising, fewer Texans can afford needed care. The COVID-19 outbreak exposed these inequities, threatening to create a system that makes testing and treatment available only to those with means and connections. This is not acceptable, and Senator Zaffirini is working with local and state leadership to expand testing and disease response rapidly. She strongly supports, for instance, the recent state initiative to test every nursing home staffer and resident in Texas. The pandemic also has brought significant fiscal challenges to our health care system, especially in rural areas. The senator looks forward to leading the fight for increased rural healthcare resources in the next legislative session.

The COVID-19 crisis is not going to disappear overnight. Local and state health care providers must increase access to testing and affordable treatment for all Texans immediately. Public health authorities will be developing contact tracing technology to mitigate the virus' spread. When vaccines and therapeutics are approved, Senator Zaffirini will work with authorities to facilitate rapid deployment of these new medicines. Until the treatments are available, the senator supports disease mitigation, self-quarantine, and CDC-recommended personal hygiene routines. Her newsletters and social media publications regularly report the latest scientific and disease management efforts.

Source