HEALTH CARE

Many Floridians are concerned about the access to and affordability of health care. I believe that everyone deserves access to health care, especially children. With prescription drug prices skyrocketing and the increased cost of medical care, it is imperative that we find ways find make health care more affordable.

As the Democratic House Leader, I supported the following proposals:

Expansion and State Funding for Stem Cell Research
Scientists believe that stem cell research can potentially unlock the cures for life-threatening diseases such as cancer, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. I supported legislation that would promote research on both embryonic and adult stem cells, but only if they are donated for research instead of being destroyed. The proposal would be highly sensitive to ethical standards, require informed consent by donors and will ban human cloning. These standards further include the formation of an ethics advisory committee and the strict prohibition on the selling or purchase of embryonic material.

Children’s Health Insurance
I believe that children should have access to health care, especially when their parents are willing to pay for it. That is why I support Florida KidCare, a public-private partnership that allows working parents to purchase low-cost health insurance for their children. I fought Republican efforts to cut more than $150 million from the KidCare program, due to declining enrollment. While the program cuts were passed, Democrats were successful in expanding outreach in the KidCare program to enroll more children.