State of Maryland Archives: on Health Care
Alec Ross:
Favors public option over single payer
Ross has expressed support for a state-run public option. A single-payer system is one in which the government provides health coverage for everyone,
whereas a public option would mean the state setting up a health program to compete with private insurance.
Source: Washington Post on 2018 Maryland gubernatorial race
Jul 26, 2017
Arvin Vohra:
Wants to eliminate the FDA and Medicare part D
When we eliminate the FDA, you get access to life-saving drugs faster. Previously inflated costs due to the ineffective requirements of the FDA will be eliminated and drug development companies will enter the market once again, seeking to
develop cures and improved treatments for cancers and rare diseases. When we eliminate Medicare part D, we decrease the costs of drugs to the consumer and taxpayers. So you will have safer drugs in your hands a decade sooner, also be more affordable.
Source: 2018 Maryland Senate campaign website VoteVohra.com
Dec 12, 2017
Arvin Vohra:
Lower medical costs come from price competition
Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Expand ObamaCare"?A: Strongly oppose. Lower medical costs come from price competition, as has happened with laser eye surgery. Laser eye surgery is not covered by government insurance.
Its price has dropped like a rock. EpiPen is covered by government; its price has skyrocketed. The free market lowers medical costs; government increases them.
Q: So what would you do with ObamaCare, repeal or replace, or some combination?
A: If elected, I will sponsor legislation to end the FDA, repeal Obamacare,
abolish Medicare, abolish Medicaid, eliminate restrictions on foreign doctors practicing in America, and cut taxes accordingly.
Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Maryland Senate candidate
Mar 30, 2018
Ben Jealous:
Medicare-for-all is the answer to make healthcare affordable
We must stop rising premiums and lower skyrocketing drug prices. The only solution for Maryland's healthcare crisis is a Medicare-for-All System. We must create a healthcare system that ensures residents are protected. I'll do what it
takes to make sure premiums don't bankrupt our families and strangle small businesses. My commitment to a Medicare-for-All system is grounded in a belief that healthcare is a moral and economic imperative that we can no longer ignore.
Source: 2018 Maryland Gubernatorial campaign website, BenJealous.com
Jun 26, 2018
Benjamin Cardin:
We need to move forward, not repeal ObamaCare
The candidates debated the federal health care law. Bongino supports repealing it. Bongino said the law places too much power in the hands of bureaucrats. "You're going to have a system of low-income and lower-middle-income folks who are relegated to
government clinics, government clinics providing substandard care who may have health insurance, but will certainly not have health care," Bongino said.Cardin, a strong supporter of the law, noted the consequences of repeal, including the loss of a
popular provision that allows parents to keep their children on their policies until the age of 26. He also said restrictions on pre-existing conditions would return. "We need to move forward, not repeal ObamaCare," Cardin said.
Sobhani said he supported some aspects of the health care law, including the end of restrictions on pre-existing conditions. However, he believes more effort should be made to include input from patients and doctors.
Source: Cumberland Times-News on 2012 Maryland Senate debate
Oct 25, 2012
Benjamin Cardin:
Invest in prevention and early detection
Q: Would you say research to improve health and prevent disease is useful?Cardin selected, "Part of the solution."
Cardin adds, "America spends more on health care per capita than any other nation in the world, yet our health status and longevity
do not reflect that. To reduce inpatient hospitalizations and the costs associated with chronic diseases, we must continue to invest in prevention and early detection. My 1997 legislation established the first-ever comprehensive package of preventive
services in traditional Medicare--covering breast, prostate, colorectal, and cervical cancer screenings, bone mass measurement for osteoporosis, and diabetes testing supplies. My subsequent legislation eliminated costsharing for preventive services in
the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Additionally, I am proud that the Affordable Care Act established the Prevention Fund, investing monies in communities across the prevention efforts such as childhood obesity prevention, HIV testing, and tobacco cessation."
Source: Your Candidates Your Health: 2012 Maryland Senate debates
Benjamin Cardin:
Questions costs of new Army Futures Command
A Maryland senator is calling to halt funding to the new Army Futures Command until service leadership can answer questions about its cost and mission. Sen. Ben Cardin filed an amendment to the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act that would
prohibit paying for the establishment of the Futures Command for the new fiscal year until two ongoing investigations are completed. "This is the establishment of a major command--an expensive command--and there currently are more
questions than answers. The Army should want to make sure that any undertaking this big and this vital is done in a thoughtful and deliberate way rather than being hastily cobbled together,"
Cardin said. "For perspective, consider that it took the Army almost a decade and multiple studies to establish a new physical fitness test. Surely, a new Army acquisition model should take more than a year to develop."
Source: Stars and Stripes on 2018 Maryland Senate race
Aug 21, 2018
Chelsea Manning:
Expand healthcare to include prisoners & transgenders
"Health-care is something that prisoners have a right to," Manning said, when asked why taxpayers should cover the cost of hormone therapy,
going on to explain that "trans health-care is necessary because if we don't get our treatment, we die."
Source: The Daily Beast on 2018 Maryland Senate race
May 16, 2017
Chris Van Hollen:
Ensure universal access to affordable health care
One of the most fundamental responsibilities of government is to ensure universal access to affordable health care. Chris has worked tirelessly to defend the Affordable Care Act against Republican attacks and increase access to mental health and other
services. He has championed measures to reduce prescription drug and health care costs, address the medical debt crisis, and end health disparities that mostly impact women and minorities.
Source: 2022 Maryland Senate campaign website VanHollen.org
Jul 20, 2022
Chris Van Hollen:
Let Medicare negotiate prescription drug prices
Chris believes deeply in the promises we make to those who have earned the dignity of a secure retirement after paying into Medicare and Social Security all their working lives. He has been a leader in protecting and strengthening benefits for seniors
and he'll never back down from that fight. He has played a pivotal role in the battle to give Medicare the power to negotiate lower costs for prescription drugs and to close the existing coverage gaps for hearing, dental and vision services.
Source: 2022 Maryland Senate campaign website VanHollen.org
Jul 20, 2022
Dan Bongino:
Health research is the solution, but not by gov't
Q: When it comes to rising health care costs, would you say research to improve health and prevent disease is part of the problem or part of the solution?
Bongino selected, "Part of the solution."
Bongino added, "Investing in research and development that will prevent and cure disease is integral to the long term sustainability of health care in the
United States. Sponsoring public and private research will avert massive costs and suffering.
Limiting wasteful bureaucracy in the public sector while simultaneously incentivizing research in the private sector will produce progress and tangible results."
Source: Your Candidates Your Health: 2012 Maryland Senate debates
Jun 15, 2012
Dan Bongino:
ObamaCare places too much power in the hands of bureaucrats
The candidates debated the federal health care law. Bongino supports repealing it. Bongino said the law places too much power in the hands of bureaucrats. "You're going to have a system of low-income and lower-middle-income folks who are relegated to
government clinics, government clinics providing substandard care who may have health insurance, but will certainly not have health care," Bongino said.Cardin, a strong supporter of the law, noted the consequences of repeal, including the loss of a
popular provision that allows parents to keep their children on their policies until the age of 26. He also said restrictions on pre-existing conditions would return. "We need to move forward, not repeal ObamaCare," Cardin said.
Sobhani said he supported some aspects of the health care law, including the end of restrictions on pre-existing conditions. However, he believes more effort should be made to include input from patients and doctors.
Source: Cumberland Times-News on 2012 Maryland Senate debate
Oct 25, 2012
Dan Cox:
On day one I will end the vaccine and health mandates
[On COVID mandate]: "On day one of my administration as your next Governor, I will end the vaccine and health mandates and restore freedom by restoring the Constitution's protections to all the people of Maryland.
And our Five-Point Contract for Maryland will be just the beginning of a new birth of prosperity for our Free State."
Source: 2022 Maryland Governor campaign website CoxForFreedom.com
Apr 24, 2022
Doug Gansler:
Operate 10 new regional behavioral centers across the state
Take advantage of our multi-billion surplus and our state's AAA credit rating to finance, build and operate 10 new regional behavioral centers across the
State of Maryland, each to be staffed with psychiatrists, social workers and therapists, to be funded by a combination of federal and state dollars.
Source: 2022 Maryland Gubernatorial campaign website DougGansler.com
Dec 29, 2021
Ian Schlakman:
Supports National Improved Medicare for All
Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Expand ObamaCare"?
A: Strongly support; I support National Improved Medicare for All
Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Maryland Governor candidate
Aug 21, 2018
Jamie Raskin:
Long-time champion of single-payer health care
A long-time champion of single-payer health care, Jamie says, "In a modern democracy, good health care is not only a basic right of citizenship, it is a precondition for effective citizenship." Jamie wants to see the health care system "organized
rationally around the health needs of the people and promoting excellent nutrition and preventive care." He says that "the Affordable Care Act, with its ban on denying coverage to people with a preexisting condition and its policy of continuing
to cover young people in their 20s, is a big improvement over the old system and should be defended against continuing right-wing attacks." But Jamie knows we can do even better. He will work for a more cost-efficient system that reduces serious
health inequities in the country, upholds women's reproductive freedom, and promotes healthy nutrition and diet, exercise, and preventive health care for all Americans.
Source: 2016 Maryland House campaign website JamieRaskin.com
Nov 8, 2016
Jamie Raskin:
Voted YES on establishing an ObamaCare healthcare exchange
HB 443 Establishes State Health Insurance Exchanges
Bill Passed House (94-44-3); passed Senate (35-11-1); Sen. Raskin voted YEA.Highlights: - Establishes a health benefit exchange to meet all functions required by the Patient Protection and
Affordable Care Act
- Defines "exchange" to include the following parts:
- The "individual exchange"; and
- The Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP Exchange).
- Defines "individual exchange" as the division of the exchange that serves the
individual health insurance market
- Requires carriers approved by the exchange to offer qualified health care plans for qualified individuals and employers
- Specifies that when a carrier sets a community rate for a health benefit plan the rate must
be based on a rating methodology based on the experience of all risks covered by the health benefit plan and may only use the following factors to adjust the community rate: Age; Geography; and "Health Status".
Source: VoteSmart synopsis of 2011-2012 Maryland legislative records
Mar 26, 2012
Maya Cummings:
Universal health care is the goal
Provide universal health care, public health, and wellness options that close disparities, address behavioral and mental health,
and promote healthy and longer lives.
Source: 2018 Maryland Gubernatorial website MayaForMaryland.com
Oct 15, 2017
Kathy Szeliga:
Voted NO on establishing an ObamaCare healthcare exchange
HB 443 Establishes State Health Insurance Exchanges
Bill Passed House (94-44); Rep. Kathy Szeliga voted Nay.Highlights: - Establishes a health benefit exchange to meet all the minimum functions required by the Patient Protection and Affordable
Care Act
- Defines "exchange" to include the following parts:
- The "individual exchange"; and
- The Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP Exchange).
- Defines "individual exchange" as the division of the exchange that serves the
individual health insurance market
- Requires carriers approved by the exchange to offer qualified health care plans for qualified individuals and employers
- Specifies that when a carrier sets a community rate for a health benefit plan the rate must
be based on a rating methodology based on the experience of all risks covered by the health benefit plan and may only use the following factors to adjust the community rate: Age; Geography; and "Health Status".
Source: VoteSmart synopsis of 2011-2012 Maryland voting records
Mar 26, 2012
Kelly M. Schulz:
Voted NO on establishing an ObamaCare healthcare exchange
HB 443 Establishes State Health Insurance ExchangesBill Passed House (94-44); Del. Kelly Schulz voted Nay.
Highlights:- Establishes a health benefit exchange to meet all the minimum functions required by the Patient Protection and Affordable
Care Act
- Defines "exchange" to include the following parts:
- The "individual exchange"; and
- The Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP Exchange).
- Defines "individual exchange" as the division of the exchange that serves the individual
health insurance market
- Requires carriers approved by the exchange to offer qualified health care plans for qualified individuals and employers
- Specifies that when a carrier sets a community rate for a health benefit plan the rate must be based
on a rating methodology based on the experience of all risks covered by the health benefit plan and may only use the following factors to adjust the community rate: Age; Geography; and "Health Status".
Source: VoteSmart synopsis of 2011-12 Maryland voting records HB443
Mar 26, 2012
Larry Hogan:
Beat cancer with chemotherapy while in office
In June 2015, after barely five months in office, Republican Gov. Larry Hogan called a press conference on a hot summer afternoon to share the news that he had just been diagnosed with "a very advanced and very aggressive" form of cancer: non-Hodgkin's
lymphoma. It had been discovered in late stage three, when survival rates for that type of cancer are normally in the 50 to 70% range. To lighten the mood in the room, the affable Hogan wisecracked, "The best news is that my odds of getting through this
in beating this are much, much better than the odds I had of beating Anthony Brown," as the audience laughed and aides applauded. The quip under scored that Hogan surprise victory in deep blue Maryland over Brown--Lieutenant Governor under two-term
Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley--ranked as one of the major upsets nationwide in 2014. Hogan won over many constituents with his show of stoic courage and dealing with six separate rounds of five-day-a-week, 24-hour-a-day chemotherapy.
Source: Almanac of American Politics on 2018 Maryland Governor race
Oct 5, 2015
Margaret Flowers:
Full-time advocate for single payer health care system
Margaret Flowers is a Maryland pediatrician and mother of three. After graduating from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in 1990, Margaret worked first in hospitals in Carroll County and and then in private practice.
In 2007 she stopped practicing medicine to start advocating full-time for a state and federal single payer health care system. "I view the struggle for health care as part of a broader social, racial, economic and environmental justice movement."
Source: 2016 Maryland Senate campaign website FlowersForSenate.org
Feb 3, 2016
Peter Franchot:
Expand Medicaid; control cost of insurance premiums
Franchot will support:- Piloting an expansion of Medicaid coverage to more Maryland residents, and incentives for more providers to serve this population.
-
Piloting an expansion of Maryland's total cost of care model for the commercial insurance market to control the ever rising cost of premiums, make insurance cheaper, and get better outcomes.
Source: 2022 Maryland Gubernatorial campaign website TK.com
Jul 19, 2021
Richard Madaleno:
Voted YES on establishing an ObamaCare healthcare exchange
HB 443 Establishes State Health Insurance Exchanges
Bill Passed House (94-44-3); passed Senate (35-11-1); Sen. Madaleno voted YEA.Highlights: - Establishes a health benefit exchange to meet all functions required by the Patient Protection and
Affordable Care Act
- Defines "exchange" to include the following parts:
- The "individual exchange"; and
- The Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP Exchange).
- Defines "individual exchange" as the division of the exchange that serves the
individual health insurance market
- Requires carriers approved by the exchange to offer qualified health care plans for qualified individuals and employers
- Specifies that when a carrier sets a community rate for a health benefit plan the rate must
be based on a rating methodology based on the experience of all risks covered by the health benefit plan and may only use the following factors to adjust the community rate: Age; Geography; and "Health Status".
Source: VoteSmart synopsis of 2011-2012 Maryland legislative records
Mar 26, 2012
Richard Madaleno:
Single-payer would be ideal outcome
I guarantee you this: When I am governor, no matter what Republicans in Congress do, Maryland will treat health care as a human right, and Maryland will ensure that every person has access to affordable health care.
Like many Marylanders, I believe single-payer is the ideal outcome. But states can't do single-payer alone, it has to be national.
Source: 2018 Maryland Gubernatorial website MadalenoForMaryland.com
Aug 8, 2017
Richard Madaleno:
Prohibit price gouging for generic drugs
OnTheIssues Q: what are your views on Health Care issues?- Voted YES on increasing access to contraceptive drugs
- Voted YES on prohibiting price gouging for generic drugs
Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Maryland Governor candidate
Jun 1, 2018
Rob Sobhani:
Build on ObamaCare so it's not all government controlled
Bongino supports repealing ObamaCare. Cardin, a strong supporter of ObamaCare, noted the consequences of repeal, including the loss of a popular provision that allows parents to keep their children on their policies until the age of 26. He also said
restrictions on pre-existing conditions would return. "We need to move forward, not repeal ObamaCare," Cardin said. Sobhani said he supported some aspects of the health care law, including the end of restrictions on pre-existing conditions.
However, he believes more effort should be made to include input from patients and doctors. "Because at the end of the day, it's between a doctor and a patient, and we've got to build out from that relationship a health care system that, as
I said, supports some of what President Obama is trying to do but also trying to make sure that it's not all government controlled," Sobhani said.
Source: Cumberland Times-News on 2012 Maryland Senate debate
Oct 25, 2012
Rushern Baker:
Implement a single-payer Medicare for All program
Healthcare is a human right and our system is broken. We believe the best solution is to implement a single-payer Medicare for All program in Maryland in which the state would provide high-quality care at affordable costs. We must also address the
major provider shortage we're facing by ensuring nurses, physicians, and PAs are fairly compensated, treated with respect, and well-supplied with the resources they need to do their jobs.
Source: 2022 Maryland Governor campaign website RushernBaker.com
Jun 24, 2022
Sam Faddis:
More than 50% of Marylanders are on brink of losing coverage
Q: What are the three main issues facing the voters in the State of Maryland that you intend to address and how?
Faddis: Jobs, the economy, and healthcare. The healthcare we were promised is collapsing and more than 50% of Marylanders are on the brink of losing coverage.
Source: Special Forces News on 2018 Maryland Senate race
May 31, 2017
Shawn Quinn:
Oppose ObamaCare
Q: Do you support or oppose the statement, "Expand ObamaCare"?
A: Oppose
Source: OnTheIssues interview of 2018 Maryland Governor candidate
May 13, 2018
Thomas Perez:
94% healthcare coverage not good enough; goal is 100%
To be fair, Maryland has done better than many other states. We cover 94 percent of our residents--that's above the national average and far more than before President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act. But Tom knows that 94 percent isn't
good enough anymore. It leaves more than 347,000 people without coverage. With so many lives needlessly lost to the pandemic, we can longer afford gaps in access to essential health care. Our goal must be 100 percent.
Source: 2021 Maryland Governor campaign website TomPerez.com
Jul 18, 2021
Thomas Perez:
Ensure that there is equal access to mental health care
We must ensure that there is equal access to mental healthcare no matter what zip code you live in or what your socioeconomic or racial background is. Mental health services must also be fully integrated into our first responder system,
and we must promote and expand efforts to ensure that mental health calls to 911 are responded to with qualified clinicians and mental health workers rather than just law enforcement.
Source: 2021 Maryland Governor campaign website TomPerez.com
Jul 18, 2021
Thomas Perez:
Implement and strengthen state health equity program
We must address the glaring health disparities which impact particularly communities of color in our state. I commend the Maryland General Assembly for creating a new Health Equity Resource Communities program this year to improve
healthcare in disadvantaged communities and we must do all we can to fully implement and strengthen this program. And let's never forget the pandemic's bitter teaching: All of us are at risk if some of us are denied care.
Source: Baltimore Sun on 2022 Maryland gubernatorial race
Jun 9, 2021
Tony Campbell:
Repeal ObamaCare; reform VA hospitals
Q: Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("ObamaCare")?A: Yes.
Q: Please explain in a total of 100 words or less, your top priorities if elected.
A:- Ending Educational Mandates by the National Government
- Protecting Vetera
Source: VoteSmart Maryland 2018 Political Courage Test
Jul 4, 2018
Tony Campbell:
Repeal Obamacare
Q: Candidate AnswerDo you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")?
A: Yes.
Source: Maryland Congressional Election 2018 Political Courage Test
Nov 1, 2018
Wes Moore:
Ensure access to quality, affordable health care coverage
- Ensure every Marylander has access to quality, affordable health care coverage and that the ability to pay is not the deciding factor in obtaining needed care.
- Lower prescription drug prices by empowering the Prescription Drug Affordability
Board to review costs and set limits for prescription drugs, explore bulk buying pools, and leverage the state's purchasing power to drive down costs.
-
Address and eliminate disparities in maternal mortality rates for Black and Brown women by incorporating social determinants of health into health care settings and reporting measures across the state.
-
Implement legislation requiring Maryland's Medicaid program to provide one year of postpartum coverage to new mothers.
Source: 2022 Maryland Gubernatorial campaign website WesMoore.com
Jul 24, 2022
Chris Van Hollen:
Finally got Medicare the power to negotiate drug prices
The centerpiece of this bill was finally giving Medicare the power to negotiate drug prices and that will reduce drug prices for seniors in addition to the fact that we have a cap of $2,000 in out-of-pocket costs.
I just want to stress the fact that since I've been here in the Congress, including my time in the House, we've been trying to get Medicare the power to negotiate drug prices. It looks like we're finally there.
Source: Meet the Press on 2022 Maryland Senate race
Aug 7, 2022
Colin Byrd:
Advocated for progressive polices like Medicare for All
Colin Byrd, the mayor of Greenbelt and a former University of Maryland student, is challenging Sen. Chris Van Hollen for one of Maryland's seats in the U.S. Senate in 2022, he announced.
Byrd has been Greenbelt's mayor since 2019, and he has advocated for progressive policies, including Medicare for All and the Green New Deal.
Source: The Diamondback on 2022 Maryland Senate race
Mar 8, 2021
JD Vance:
COVID: Clearly Tony Fauci lied to the American people
Clearly Tony Fauci lied under oath, lied to the American people. Not just that, he compelled and persuaded the FBI to censor information about the pandemic as it was unfolding, tried to shut down the functioning First Amendment so
that we could not have an open debate about where it came from and what to do about it. It's disgraceful what he did it the question is if we want to say he committed perjury, I'm not optimistic Merrick Garland is going to do the right thing here.
Source: Speech at the 2023 CPAC Conference in Maryland
Mar 2, 2023
Ted Cruz:
COVID: Fauci elevated politics over science and medicine
Dr. Fauci has done more damage than any bureaucrat in the history of our nation. He led policies that destroyed peoples' lives, hurt tens of millions of kids across the country, destroying businesses. One of the consequences is he elevated politics over
science and medicine. There is no one person who has done more to destroy trust in the scientific and medical community that Dr. Anthony Fauci. was told that millions of americans lied willingly, knowingly, glibly, supremely arrogantly.
Source: Speech at the 2023 CPAC Conference in Maryland
Mar 2, 2023
David Trone:
Championed fight against addiction, mental health crisis
In Congress, David has helped lead the fight for progressive priorities like raising the minimum wage and passing the Inflation Reduction Act, the most significant climate legislation in U.S. history. He has championed the fight against addiction and
the mental health crisis, forming the Bipartisan Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Task Force, a 140-member group that passed 26 bills into law to help turn the tide on the over 100,000 American lives we lost to overdose last year alone.
Source: 2024 Maryland Senate campaign website DavidTrone.com
Jul 31, 2023
Angela Alsobrooks:
Expand Medicaid, pass Medicare buy-in option
She believes it's time for Congress to act to expand Medicaid for millions of Americans that should be covered by the ACA Medicaid expansion but live in the 10 states whose Republican legislators refuse to expand coverage in their states.
Angela also believes it's time to pass a Medicare buy-in option and apply ACA subsidies to the plan to ensure all Americans have access regardless of their income.
Source: 2024 Maryland Senate campaign website AngelaAlsobrooks.com
Feb 16, 2024
Angela Alsobrooks:
Healthcare is a fundamental right: build upon ObamaCare
Health Care : Increase or decrease government support for health care?- Angela Alsobrooks (D): Increase. "Healthcare is a fundamental right.... As Senator, I will work to defend and build upon the Affordable
Care Act." Supports universal paid family and medical leave policies.
- Larry Hogan (R): Mostly increase. Defended Obamacare against a 2017 proposal to repeal it. Vetoed partially paid family medical or care leave.
Source: Guides.vote candidate survey on 2024 Maryland Senate race
Aug 8, 2024
Larry Hogan:
Don't repeal ObamaCare, but no paid medical leave
Health Care : Increase or decrease government support for health care?- Angela Alsobrooks (D): Increase. "Healthcare is a fundamental right; I will build upon the Affordable Care Act." Supports paid family and medical
leave policies.
- Larry Hogan (R): Mostly increase. Defended Obamacare against a 2017 proposal to repeal it. In 2018 signed a bill to strengthen publicly supported health care. Vetoed partially paid family medical or care leave.
Source: Guides.vote candidate survey on 2024 Maryland Senate race
Aug 8, 2024
Ashwani Jain:
Healthcare is a human right; supports a public option
When I was getting treated for cancer at the age of 13, I had the means to get better: I had parents who had health insurance; access to healthy food; ways of getting to and from hospital; and a great support system. But shortly after I beat cancer and
became a Make-A-Wish Ambassador, I met children across this state who were not as fortunate. That's why I believe in a Public Option where healthcare is a human right and not a luxury.
Source: Medium.com posting on 2022 Maryland Gubernatorial race
May 14, 2021
Robin Ficker:
Limit requiring vaccines; limit tax-funding to Medicare
Q: HEALTHCARE: Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?A: Traditional sterilizing vaccines? Public schools probably can require them, pursuant to the locality's police power.
Otherwise, governments generally shouldn't be imposing requirements. Private corporations and schools can generally require them.
Q: What most closely matches your view on healthcare: A) Healthcare for all should be guaranteed and funded by the
government with no private healthcare option. (includes "universal healthcare," "medicare for all," etc.) B) Healthcare insurance funded by the government should be available for all who want it, along with private healthcare options. C) Medicaid and
Medicare should remain available, but no other taxpayer-funded programs are necessary. D) Taxpayer funded health care should be abolished in all forms, and Medicaid and Medicare should be defunded.
A: C.
Source: AFA iVoterGuide on 2024 Maryland Senate race
Nov 1, 2016
Johnny Olszewski:
Voted YES on establishing an ObamaCare healthcare exchange
HB 443 Establishes State Health Insurance Exchanges
Bill Passed House (94-44-3); passed Senate (35-11-1); Del.Olszewski voted YEA.Highlights: - Establishes a health benefit exchange to meet all functions required by the Patient Protection and
Affordable Care Act
- Defines "exchange" to include the following parts:
- The "individual exchange"; and
- The Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP Exchange).
- Defines "individual exchange" as the division of the exchange that serves the
individual health insurance market
- Requires carriers approved by the exchange to offer qualified health care plans for qualified individuals and employers
- Specifies that when a carrier sets a community rate for a health benefit plan the rate must
be based on a rating methodology based on the experience of all risks covered by the health benefit plan and may only use the following factors to adjust the community rate: Age; Geography; and "Health Status".
Source: VoteSmart synopsis of 2011-2012 Maryland legislative records
Mar 26, 2012
Dan Cox:
Representing client objecting to COVID test swabs
The MAGA-aligned attorney is representing plaintiffs in two federal discrimination cases against major institutions. Portions of the complaint and its exhibits place quotation marks around words such as vaccination, and describe the vaccines as
experimental. They reference test swabs being used to sequence people's genomes and a "scheme of mass DNA collection for the world's largest private biometric ID library which could be used to genetically trigger disease at will."
Source: The Baltimore Banner on 2026 Maryland Gubernatorial race
Aug 21, 2025
Page last updated: Mar 14, 2026