Access to affordable, quality healthcare is an important issue to so many Louisianians. I believe the choices we make now will dramatically impact the future of healthcare in our country.  We must work together to rein in the high cost of healthcare and make health insurance and treatments affordable for all Americans, especially senior citizens and children.  

In Congress, I have always voted to protect and improve Medicare.   I have supported legislation that ensures seniors in south Louisiana continue to have access to the doctors they know and trust, as well as bills that would make the prescription drugs they critically need more affordable.   

I have also consistently voted in support of legislation to expand health care access for children, especially those from working families with no health insurance.  In the richest country in the world, no sick person should have to forgo a visit to the doctor simply because he or she can't afford the bill.  I will continue to support legislation and funding that helps uninsured and underinsured Americans access much-needed healthcare services, while ensuring these needs are met in a cost efficient way that also protects the taxpayer's dollar.

We must also keep fighting to find cures for devastating diseases like cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s that are cutting short the lives of too many Louisianians.  I strongly believe these cures are within our reach, which is why I’ve supported efforts in Congress to boost funding for medical research at the National Institutes of Health, our nation’s leading laboratory for groundbreaking research.

Having lived in the small town of Napoleonville in Assumption Parish my whole life, I understand firsthand the unique challenges that people in rural communities face in accessing much-needed healthcare services.  Hospitals are few and far between, and people who are disabled, or extremely sick, or lack reliable transportation have trouble getting to see a doctor.  Under-funded hospitals have trouble purchasing new equipment and technology.  Independent pharmacies struggle to pay the bills because Medicare takes too long to reimburse them.  Communities have a severe shortage of healthcare providers because the hospitals can't pay doctors and nurses competitive wages.  

In Congress, I have supported legislation to improve the affordability, accessibility, and availability of rural health care. I have also worked for increased federal funding and support to help meet healthcare needs in rural Louisiana, so our small towns and communities can stay healthy and thrive.  I will continue working with my colleagues in the Rural Health Care Coalition to pass legislation that will help make our rural communities in south Louisiana healthier places to live.

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