I was talking to one of my senior advisors the other day and he relayed to me a story that is far too common. He told me about how he waited in traffic for 3 hours while the Bay Bridge was shut down because a man pulled over his tractor trailer and climbed up the bridge to jump.

Mental Health in rural communities is an issue that is not talked about enough. Treatment disparities, in both quality and quantity, constitute a pervasive issue tearing apart rural families. The isolation brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated these issues.

In Maryland, more than half of people with a mental health condition did not receive any treatment. Of those, 33.7% cited cost reasons. 1,000,000 Marylanders live in a community that does not have enough mental health professionals, most of whom are in rural areas like the Eastern Shore. And Marylanders are 10x more likely to be forced out-of-network for mental health care than for primary health care. The Eastern Shore has a suicide rate of 13.2/100,000.

Mental health is a silent killer that can affect anyone, no matter age, race, gender, socioeconomic status, or any other identifier. We need to do better for our families and neighbors. We can create loan forgiveness for those who want to go into mental health fields. We can create fellowship programs that subsidize young mental health professionals to work in rural areas. We must sign the EVEST Act into law, improving coverage access for veterans. We can build a VA clinic on the Eastern Shore so the 58% of veterans with mental health issues can receive treatment. We can expand access to mental health coverage for Medicaid beneficiaries. We can pass comprehensive legislation that expands Medicare and the Affordable Care Act to improve coverage of mental illness. Rural America is fighting to simply survive. Andy Harris is running scared.

The district needs a leader to fight against the complex myriad of crises it faces. I can lead the district into the next generation, but I need your help. Will you help me fight for the First District by donating to my campaign today.

All the best,

Dave