Contra costa HEALTHCARE policy

Healthcare is an essential service that must be available for all citizens, equitably and affordably.

 
 

Policy 1

Medicare for all: All citizens are entitled to equal access to care, and medicare for all ensures this. Expansion of CCHP Medi-Cal would be a step forward in achieving this goal.

Policy 2

Harm reduction services (such as syringe and paraphernalia exchange). Mitigating risk to prevent overdose death is integral to a harm reduction approach in working with patients with a substance use disorder. Patients who use drugs should be treated with dignity and respect, and have their needs met regardless of their substance use.

Policy 3

Addressing public health misinformation through social media platforms. Why: We know that misinformation is what led to hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths in the US. We also know that corporate stakeholders will not work in the best interests of public health policy when it reduces their profit. It is imperative that we keep private technology entities accountable for their culpability in spreading and enabling misinformation through their platforms. Government oversight is essential to preventing further public health disasters due to the spread of misinformation.

 

Additional Policies

  1. Increasing funding for service loan forgiveness programs in CCC or creating a service loan forgiveness program in CCC.

  2. Supporting student loan forgiveness through public health service scholarships. Those who display a commitment to public health services deserve to receive assistance in eliminating these student loans. Action item: Increasing funding for women's health services in CCC.

  3. Support of abortion services: women's health is not a public debate but rather a discussion between an individual and their provider. Limiting access to essential women's health services such as abortion is detrimental to the health of women + communities. (meh for my explaining it) Policy: Increasing access to preventative services through CCHP Medi-Care.

  4. De-criminalization of all substances: Providing mental health crisis teams in conjunction with any mental health-related encounters by law enforcement.

  5. Youth substance use education curriculum No smoking in houses

  6. Defiing vaping as smoking.

  7. Limiting the purchase of smoking by age.

  8. Increasing mental health access in primary care and pre-natal clinics as well as access to both inpatient and intensive outpatient programs for new parents.