healthcare
Melanie believes access to quality, affordable health care is a right, not a privilege. That’s why she sponsored the Nevada Public Option to give Nevadans more affordable and comprehensive insurance plans, making our state just the third in the country to pass such legislation. Melanie isn’t afraid to take on big insurance companies driving up our health care costs and big pharmaceutical companies making our medications far too expensive.
Melanie voted to prohibit insurance companies from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions. She also helped pass legislation that protects Nevada patients from surprise billing when they receive out-of-network emergency care.
Melanie has seen how sky-rocketing prescription drug prices have negatively impacted so many in our community. That’s why she has worked to take on pharmaceutical companies and bring down the price of prescription drugs. She helped pass legislation that requires drug makers to disclose information about the costs of making and marketing drugs if there are drug pricing increases. Melanie also voted to enter Nevada into an interstate drug purchasing agreement to allow for more collaborative and affordable purchasing of prescription drugs.
Melanie believes women’s health care decisions are personal, and between a woman, her doctor, and her family. She is committed to keeping extremists out of the doctor’s office, and will fight back against any politician that wants to limit or restrict women’s access to health care. She was a proud sponsor of the Trust Nevada Women Act, which cleaned up antiquated laws governing a woman’s right to choose and updated informed consent laws to ensure women’s conversations with their doctors pertain only to medical standards of care.
Melanie also has a track record of supporting increased access to women’s health care. She voted to invest $6 million in Family Planning Services here in Nevada, which ensured Nevada women could access critical, preventative cancer screenings, like mammograms, that save so many lives. Melanie has also relentlessly pursued policies that increase access to multiple, affordable methods of birth control, and was proud to sponsor legislation that allowed pharmacists to dispense birth control to Nevada women without a prescription from their doctors.
Melanie will work to protect our families from special interests and reign in the cost of health care because she believes that affordable, quality health care should be accessible to all Nevadans.