Senator Capito believes every West Virginian and American deserve access to affordable, quality health care. She is a long-time advocate for rural health care initiatives and has consistently championed funding for community health centers, a vital source of primary care in communities across West Virginia. As Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, Senator Capito has an elevated role and ability to impact many important factors in West Virginia. These factors include groundbreaking medical research, important support for the state’s education institutions and medical facilities, and strengthening medical resources for our coal miners as well as those struggling with addiction.
Senator Capito is a passionate supporter of Alzheimer’s research. This issue is particularly important to the senator as both her parents battled with the disease in their later years. Senator Capito has helped introduce several pieces of Alzheimer’s legislation, including the Concentrating on High-Value Alzheimer’s Needs to Get to an End (CHANGE) Act, the Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act, The Comprehensive Care for Alzheimer’s Act, and Younger-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease Act to help the approximately 200,000 Americans suffering from early-onset Alzheimer’s disease and the 39,000 people aged 65 and older are living with Alzheimer's in West Virginia.
Senator Capito has worked to expand research and funding for childhood cancers, helping doctors better diagnose and treat younger patients. In June 2018, President Trump signed into law Senator Capito’s Childhood Cancer STAR Act. In January 2023, the Childhood Cancer STAR Act was reauthorized for another five years.
Senator Capito is also fighting to lower prescription drug prices by introducing the bipartisan Improving Transparency and Accuracy in Medicare Part D Drug Spending Act. The bill would prohibit Medicare Part D plan sponsors and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) from retroactively reducing payments on accurate reimbursement claims submitted by pharmacies. Doing so would help ensure community pharmacies are able to continue to serve Medicare beneficiaries and combat the growing financial uncertainties these small businesses are facing.