Katz Says She'd Push for Health Centers to Accept the Uninsured

Queens borough president candidate Melinda Katz said, if elected, she would call for laws requiring new health centers and clinics to accept patients regardless of whether they have insurance, the Daily News reported.

The former state Assemblywoman and city councilwoman for Forest Hills said Queens is in need of more primary care facilities and urgent care centers.

“We need to expand health care access around the borough and also need to figure out how to alleviate pressure on the emergency rooms,” Katz told the Daily News.

Katz, who formerly sat on the state Assembly's Urban Health subcommittee, also said she would call on the city’s Health Department to conduct audits to determine how borough hospital closures have affected neighboring communities.

Katz will face off in the Democratic primary for Queens borough president against City Councilman Peter Vallone Jr., D-Astoria, and state Sen. Tony Avella, D-Bayside.