Healthy Communities
Natalia is a social epidemiologist who has worked for decades to advance the health and well-being of children, families, and communities across the globe. She knows that health is not merely the absence of disease or access to healthcare. Health is shaped by where we are born, where we live, where we play, and by the condition of our neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces.
COVID-19 has exposed deep failures in our healthcare system. It is a wake up call that our health can’t wait, and offers an opportunity to rethink our approach to shaping a better future for all. In the immediate term measures must be put in place to protect workers and those in congregate settings, while also addressing the mental health consequences of social isolation, especially for older Americans and children. And, at the same time, more fundamental change is needed to invest in building healthy communities.
While the United States spends more on healthcare than most other wealthy countries, our health outcomes are far worse in comparison. Natalia believes that health is a fundamental human right, and that the profound health inequities in the U.S. - the fact that poorer Americans and people of color are dying at higher rates and at younger ages - are both unjust and preventable. The well-being of residents across the 4th Congressional District and our state must be safeguarded; this is critical for our society and our economy to thrive.
Natalia is committed to:
Fighting for Medicare for All.
The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us how deadly the consequences can be when high healthcare costs are a barrier to testing and treatment. While federal legislation has aimed to provide free testing and treatment for COVID-19, major gaps remain and 14% of Americans (approximately 46 million people) still say they would avoid seeking care for COVID-19 due to fear about costs. This must be addressed immediately. At the same time, our healthcare system is fundamentally broken in ways that go beyond COVID-19. Almost half of Americans between the ages of 19 and 64 have inadequate health insurance and health care costs remain the leading cause of household bankruptcy. Natalia has been fighting for health equity her entire career and believes health is a human right. In Congress, she will fight for Medicare for All to control costs and ensure equitable access to care, especially for the uninsured and underinsured. She also understands that rapidly moving away from an employer-based insurance system may be difficult for many Americans and will work to ensure continuity of care so Americans can continue seeing the nurses, doctors, and care providers they value. Natalia is committed to creating an America where no one avoids seeking care because they can’t afford it.
Ending the opioid overdose crisis.
The opioid epidemic has been assaulting families and communities across the U.S. for two decades and our District has some of the hardest hit areas in the state of Massachusetts. Opioid misuse is a disease and a public health problem, not a moral failing or criminal justice issue. Natalia will fight for more federal support, including for prevention programs such as alternative pain treatment strategies, educating providers to prevent over-prescription of opioids, providing adequate sick leave to workers, and supporting first-responder naloxone training programs. She will also increase access to evidence-based harm reduction strategies for opioid-use disorders and the availability of treatment, especially community-based medication-assisted treatment.
Ending the epidemic of gun violence.
Every day, more than 100 Americans are killed by guns, but like other epidemics, gun violence is preventable. As a mom, Natalia understands the deep worry of parents across the District and Massachusetts who fear for the lives of their children. As a public health expert who has worked on mental health, she also knows that far too many young Americans have used guns to take their own lives. Because common-sense gun laws save lives, Natalia is committed to implementing practical, effective protections at a national level. As a Congresswoman, she will support the introduction of strong background checks for firearm purchases and laws that temporarily remove firearms from persons at extreme risk to either themselves or others. Natalia also believes weapons of war don’t belong on American streets, and supports a federal ban on assault weapons.
Protecting sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Sexual and reproductive health are not just women’s health issues — they are a key part of upholding the right to health. Natalia believes everyone should have access to sexual and reproductive health care and information, as well as the ability to make decisions in these areas. As a Congresswoman, Natalia will fight to codify Roe v. Wade in law to ensure that the right to choose is upheld across the nation, and to provide robust resources for comprehensive sexual education. She will also fight to restore federal support to vital reproductive health services and work to repeal the Hyde Amendment which prevents the use of Medicaid funding for abortion services.
Promoting vital health innovation.
Even as COVID-19 has exposed critical problems with our economic and healthcare systems, it has also highlighted how years of underinvestment in public health infrastructure and health-related research has cost our country dearly. As a hub for research, District 4 and its neighboring districts in MA are poised to contribute to 21st-century health innovations in fields from law to medicine to public health. We cannot harness this innovative thinking if we do not increase federal resources for research so Natalia commits to promote federal funding for health research, including multi-disciplinary research that focuses on health equity.