HEALTHCARE:

I believe healthcare is a human need, not a luxury tied to whether someone has the right employer.

I support universal healthcare at the federal level. At the state level, Kentucky should do everything within its power to make basic and preventative healthcare accessible and affordable—especially for children, pregnant people, seniors, disabled Kentuckians, working families, and rural communities.

Our healthcare system spends enormous amounts treating problems after they become emergencies. I want Kentucky to invest much more aggressively in preventing those emergencies in the first place.

That means access to primary care, dental care, vision care, hearing care, mental-health services, maternal care, nutrition support, screenings, vaccinations, and evidence-based health education.

It also means strengthening support during pregnancy and a child's first year of life, when relatively small investments can produce lifelong benefits.

Rural healthcare deserves particular attention. Communities that have lost physicians, hospitals, maternity services, dental providers, or specialists need creative solutions. Kentucky should explore incentives for healthcare professionals to practice in underserved areas, mobile clinics, telehealth, and itinerant healthcare teams that bring services directly into communities.

We should also pursue stronger reciprocal relationships with healthcare systems in Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, and West Virginia so geography doesn't become another barrier to care.

Preventative care saves more than money. It saves families from unnecessary suffering.