Our fight for affordable, accessible health care is more important than ever. The coronavirus’ disproportionate impact on disadvantaged communities reminds us that our current healthcare system still does not serve all Americans and that we all have a personal stake in the health and well-being of our friends and neighbors.    

No one should ever have to decide between life-saving care and paying their household bills, yet many North Carolinians still face this devastating choice every day. That’s why I support creating a comprehensive public option for health insurance, expanding Medicaid in North Carolina, taking steps to reduce the high cost of prescription drugs, and implementing other reforms to ensure affordable and equitable access to care for every American.   

We cannot go back to the days when insurance companies ran the show. I have worked successfully to require health care companies to cover basic services like contraception, mental health, and autism treatment. I helped expand coverage for children’s health care, and I continue to fight to expand Medicaid coverage for over 500,000 uninsured North Carolinians and provide relief for our rural hospitals facing closures. 

I am co-leading the Medicaid Saves Lives Act, legislation that will close the coverage gap by providing health insurance to low-income residents of North Carolina and the 11 other states that have refused to expand Medicaid. Over a decade after the passage of the Affordable Care Act, which gave states the opportunity to expand Medicaid, it is time for the federal government to step in to enable low-income people in all states to access health care. 

I voted to pass the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, an historic, commonsense package to reduce the threat of gun violence across the country and protect America’s children and schools.

Original source can be found here.