What is the greatest health care challenge facing Maryland today, and how do you plan to address it?
The most pressing health care challenge facing Maryland today is the shortage of health care providers, especially nurses. Nurses are the frontlines of care, and should be treated with the utmost respect and benefits. I support increasing salaries for nurses in Maryland so that we can attract more people to the field to serve our communities.
Maryland’s hospitals operate under a unique contract with the federal government that promotes community, equity, and value. It also contributes significantly to Maryland's economy. How do you plan to support the continued success of the Maryland Model?
I will continue to support the continued success of the Maryland model by supporting legislation that will maintain and increase funding levels for health care in Maryland. I will support legislation that promotes equity in the health care profession as well as access to services.
Maryland is experiencing a shortage of health care practitioners, especially nurses, that we project will worsen in the years ahead. How do you plan to address the immediate crisis and what will you do to make sure we have a robust and sustainable health care workforce pipeline?
See answer to Question 1
How would you increase availability of and access to health care for Marylanders?
I will work to increase salaries for health care professionals around the state and bring more workers in to the field so that we can have more facilities to provide care in the community. This will increase the quality of care as well as give more access to care outside of an emergency room.
What policies will you pursue to improve health for all Marylanders? Please also consider the social determinants of health?
As Chairman of the Economic Matters Committee, I have passed two key pieces of legislation that will improve the overall health of Marylanders over the next several decades. The Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022 provides a pathway to net-zero carbon emissions in Maryland by 2045; providing for cleaner air and mitigating climate impacts caused by climate change. Over the next term, my committee will be charged with the task of regulating businesses that emit pollutants into our air, and I will work to meet our net-zero goal by 2045. The Time To Care Act has set our state on the path to providing Paid Family and Medical Leave to a majority of Marylanders. I will work to implement this program that will provide Marylanders with paid time off to recover after a serious illness or injury, care for loved ones, and bond with their newborn or adopted children. All of these factors contribute to the overall health of our population.
How do you plan to address consumers' growing exposure to health care costs, such as high deductible health plans and rising prescription drug prices in Maryland?
I support capping out-of-pocket costs of prescription drugs, such as insulin, in Maryland. Families should not have to pay hundreds of dollars for insulin in this country while it costs pennies for other developed nations. I also support reinstating state employee's retirement prescription drug benefits. These goals can be accomplished through legislation and increased funding of the Maryland Model.
Maryland’s worsening medical liability climate, as noted in a recent independent report, threatens access to, and affordability of, health care services in Maryland. Plaintiffs’ attorneys typically take 40% of a medical malpractice judgment. Do you support limiting attorneys’ fees so that the affected individuals can receive more of their settlement or judgment? What additional reforms would you support that balance supporting individuals and families harmed by medical malpractice with ensuring continued access to services in a community?
I support tort reform and capping attorney's fees so that the winners of malpractice judgments are the patients and the health care professionals, and not attorneys. As a practicing attorney, I understand the work that goes in to a trial, but I do not support charging egregious fees to people who are likely experiencing one of the most difficult situations of their lives. The practice of law is about justice, not profit. The increasing costs of attorney's fees leads to more frivolous law suits being pursued, and we should not place such a burden on our health care providers.
What are your priorities should you be elected, not confined to health care?
In the next term, I will be prioritizing fair and equitable licensing for recreational marijuana retailers should the voters choose to legalize marijuana. I will work to make sure that all Marylanders will benefit from this new market, and not just wealthy financiers.
I will also prioritize the expansion of our mental health care system. There are no walk-in mental health options outside of emergency rooms, and mental health professionals are overburdened and can not take on new climates. I will work to bring more psychologists to our schools and increase access to care for all Marylanders.