Health Care
Fighting for Patients and Providers
Leland Yee is a health care professional who has worked tirelessly his entire adult life to improve health care. As a San Francisco Supervisor, Leland Yee created the city’s first school-based health centers, established a parent support line for parents to consult with counselors about their children’s behavior, and won funding for non-profit community health centers like the Women’s Community Clinic.
Since he was elected to the State Assembly and Senate, Yee has been at the forefront in the fight for universal healthcare and mental health care. Yee is a co-author of the California Universal Healthcare Act and has authored legislation to make care more affordable for all Californians. Recognized as a statewide leader on health issues, Yee was named the “Legislator of the Year” by the California Psychiatric Association and was awarded the “Rose Jenkins Legislative Advocate of the Year” by the California Mental Health Directors Association. Additionally, Senator Yee has been named the Legislator of the Year by the Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons of California and by the Hearing Healthcare Providers of California.
Fighting for lower prescription drug costs
While top pharmaceutical executives pay themselves an average of $6 million per year, many Californians are going bankrupt paying for the cost of prescription drugs. Senator Leland Yee has worked and will continue to work to make prescription drugs more affordable.
• Prescription Drug Bill of Rights
Helped pass the Prescription Drug Bill of Rights, including legislation establishing a discount program for low-income Californians
• Canadian Discounts.
Fought to allow the Department of General Services to contract with Canadian pharmacies for the purchase of prescription drugs to serve state agencies. (Vetoed by Governor)
• State Fund for Lower Cost Prescriptions.
Voted to create a state fund to support access to lower cost drugs for low income individuals (vetoed by Governor)
• Prescription Drug Hotline.
Working to create a prescription drug hotline to give consumers access to more affordable prescription drugs
Expanding access to medical services
Affordable health insurance is the key to creating a health care system that serves all Californians. Without it, families are forced to depend on emergency rooms for basic health care, creating a growing crisis for patients, providers and taxpayers. A long-time health care professional, Leland Yee has made expanded access a key priority.
• Insuring One Million Californians.
Yee helped pass law requiring medium and large employers to offer health care or pay into a state health care fund. As a result, over 1 million uninsured Californians will receive health insurance
• Stopped unfair medical bills to low-income families.
Authored the bill that stopped insurance companies from sending unfair medical bills to low-income families enrolled in Healthy Families, when doctors and insurance companies can’t meet billing resolution.
• Nursing Scholarships.
Supported legislation establishing a scholarship program for Nurses in counties determined to have acute shortages
• HMO Patient Care.
Worked to pass laws assuring patients access to care during contract disputes with HMOs
• Childhood Diabetes.
Backed a successful effort to establish screening programs for childhood diabetes
• HIV Testing.
Helped establish programs to offer HIV testing to pregnant women in order to prevent transmission of the disease
• Access to Clean Needles.
Authored legislation that allows the purchase clean needles from pharmacies without a prescription, to help stop the spread of HIV and Hepatitis C.
Coauthored Universal Healthcare Law
Every Californian deserves quality healthcare, and Leland Yee is working to pass landmark legislation extending coverage to all Californians.
The Universal Healthcare Law will:
• Cover every Californian with comprehensive health insurance
• Guarantee their right to choose their own physician
• Slash administrative costs of health insurance
• Utilize California’s purchasing power to buy prescription drugs and medical equipment in bulk
• Save an estimated $25 billion, in the first year alone, in statewide healthcare spending
Improving mental health services
Named “Legislator of the Year” by the California Psychiatric Association, Leland Yee has worked tirelessly to improve children’s mental health in California.
• Mental Health in Underserved Communities.
Worked to increase children’s mental health in underserved communities by offering loan forgiveness incentives to mental health professionals who work in low-income areas
• Mental Health Insurance.
Supported law to require state health insurance to cover licensed marriage and family therapists
• School-based Mental Health Services.
Introduced law providing a state-wide school site model for integrating existing health, mental health and social services for children
• Blind and Visually Impaired Children.
Introduced law which would provide a financial incentive for teachers to earn special education credential to teach blind and visually impaired children
• Police and the Mentally Ill.
Passed law which improves training for law enforcement to enable them to respond effectively and appropriately when they encounter the mentally ill
