Joan Fitz-Gerald

In speaking to your potential constituents throughout the 2nd Congressional District, what is the overwhelming issue/concern they keep bringing to your attention?

The No. 1 issue is getting access to affordable health care. Some people talk to me about getting lower-cost prescription drugs. Some talk about getting health-insurance coverage for mental-health issues. Some talk about getting affordable care for elderly, infirm parents. Some tell me about how their employer-based health insurance programs have been dropped. Most dispiriting to me is talking to veterans who aren't getting adequate care from the Veterans Administration.

We hear a lot about a "health-care crisis" in this country. Is that really what we're facing, and if so, what do you plan to do in Washington, D.C., to address the problem?

Yes, based on what I'm hearing on the campaign trail and in more formal meetings, "health-care crisis" is accurate. That's why I am supporting HR 676, (a bill that advances) a universal single-payer health-care system that would include all Americans regardless of pre-existing conditions, provide mental-health parity, allow physician choice and lower the cost of prescription drugs through negotiated bulk purchases. Families will pay less for health coverage, businesses will pay less, and the nation as a whole will be paying about the same as it is today.

Joan Fitz-Gerald on health care.