Sinema ensures better health care affordability, accessibility for Arizonans

Sinema helped move policies forward for growing telehealth services through a government funding bill

WASHINGTON (KYMA, KECY) - United States Senator Kyrsten Sinema guaranteed priorities in the government funding bill bettering health care affordability and accessibility for Arizonans.

Sen. Sinema aided in advancing policies like growing telehealth services, revising care for women and children, sustaining local health care providers and community health centers.

“Working across the aisle we advanced critical priorities expanding affordable health care and increasing accessible health care services for families and seniors across Arizona,” said Sinema. 

According to Sen. Sinema's office, in the Fiscal Year 2022 government funding bill, Sinema particularly ensured:

• $1 billion for the establishment of an advanced research agency for health innovation aimed at discovering breakthrough treatments for diseases like cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and ALS.
• Extension of telehealth services to ensure Arizona seniors can continue to access care beyond the pandemic
• Policies training more health providers and improving care for underserved populations, including increased telehealth and training programs for rural maternal health
• $8.5 billion for the CDC and $3.2 billion for the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund – including funding for state and local public health programs
• $1.7 billion for community health centers and primary care, including funds to support school-based health centers and advanced cancer screenings for underserved communities
• $2.3 billion for the Administration for Community Living which funds senior nutrition programs, home and community-based care, and family and tribal caregiver programs.
• $6 billion for the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) nutrition programs; more than $140 billion for SNAP, and nearly $27 billion for child nutrition programs (including for school and summer meals)