Health Care

All Virginians deserve access to quality healthcare.  However, too many are paying more for it, and far too many working Virginians do not have access.  Obesity rates are climbing at an alarming rate. Virginia’s infant mortality rate is 32^nd in the nation.  Jennifer is committed to common solutions to these problems, such as focusing on prenatal care, long-term care for our seniors and making the health care system more affordable and easier for citizens to navigate and understand. 

Helping Small Businesses Provide Health Care

The rising cost of health care and health insurance has become a major burden for working families, seniors, and businesses across the Commonwealth.  Jennifer worked to help ease this burden by co-sponsoring legislation allowing small businesses to pool together so that they may offer health care services to their employees.  Forming these cooperatives will allow employers to offer health insurance to their employees at competitive rates. 

Affordable Prescription Drugs

Advances in medical research have lead to longer healthier lives in America, mainly through medications. Yet the costs of prescription drugs are skyrocketing, forcing many Virginians to choose between their medication and food.  In the House, Jennifer has supported efforts to help Virginians afford prescription drugs by:

• Co-sponsoring legislation to allow Virginia to join other states in the I-SaveRX initiative, which allows residents to safely take advantage of lower prescription drug prices offered in Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom; and
• Supporting legislation allowing local governments to participate in a new prescription drug discount program offered by the National Association of Counties that can save people hundreds of dollars a year on their prescription

Helping Family Caregivers Provide Long Term Care

As the Virginia population ages, long-term care is becoming more of a challenge for Virginia families.  Jennifer has supported efforts to develop and fund a more integrated system of acute and long-term care for the elderly.  Jennifer is also committed to sustaining and strengthening family care-giving as a complementary component of the service delivery system, and will work to increase grants available to caregivers of mentally or physically impaired relatives.