Access to quality, affordable, and inclusive health care is crucial to the wellbeing of our community. Lack of access to affordable care can have damaging effects across the community, including economic instability, lost productivity, poor public health, lower education outcomes for children, and even increased crime rates. Lack of access to any one group, such as the exclusion of undocumented immigrants, from health care only harms the overall health of our communities. Furthermore, the positive community outcomes are only achieved when access is inclusive of the needs of all members of our community, including the unique healthcare needs of women and the transgender community. Therefore, we must advocate for policies that will expand access to quality, inclusive health care while ensuring that it is affordable for all in Santa Clara County. To further this goal, the Santa Clara County Democratic Party:

• Believes that healthcare is a human right, and supports efforts to offer universal access to comprehensive, affordable health insurance for all Americans.
• Support the expansion of County-funded health care programs, including the Santa Clara Family Health Plan, which provides care for all children, and the Valley Health Plan.
• Strongly support community health providers and clinics as a means to deliver these vital services to all of Santa Clara County, and supports the protection and maintenance of local hospitals, particularly in rural communities (such as South County) where the closing of hospitals could leave residents without access to emergency services.
• Support funding for nurses and mental health services in schools.
• Support expanded access to quality, affordable, doctor-driven health, dental, behavioral, rehabilitative, and vision care, with follow-up services, especially for vulnerable communities.
• Supports expanded health care options and coverage for seniors, including in-house healthcare services, assisted living communities, and dignified end of life care.
• Condemns the denial of necessary medical care for women because of the healthcare provider’s religious objections, the attempted manipulation of vulnerable women by denying them access to accurate medical information and family planning services, and the violation of doctors’ First Amendment rights by forcing them to provide women with inaccurate information or preventing them from providing competent medical advice.
• Recognizes that health care providers have a duty to provide competent care free from discrimination, and, therefore, strongly opposes allowing health care providers to deny any person access to needed medical care because of the provider’s religious objections.
• Recognizes the unique healthcare needs of the LGBTQ community and the need for healthcare providers to be competent in providing services to this community, and, therefore, supports training for support for healthcare providers on administering inclusive care, particularly for transgender patients.
• Promote better collaboration and an improved service continuum between federal, state, and county service providers.
• Promote outreach to communities that have not had easy access to information regarding health care services.