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During the COVID-19 pandemic, Steel has opposed mandatory face masks in Orange County. She voted against requiring retail employees to wear face masks, opposed face mask requirements in public school, and questioned the effect masks have in slowing the spread of the virus. Steel has stated: "As the Chair of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, I am working to lead Orange County’s response to COVID-19. I have worked closely with local, state, and federal officials to ensure the county has the resources necessary to tackle this crisis, from access to medical care to preventative equipment for our health care professionals...As a member of Congress, I will work to lead America through this global pandemic and reemerge on the other side with a plan to reinvigorate our economy and get Americans back to work."
Steel's position on ACA is unclear. In 2014, Steel placed an op-ed in The Orange County Register in which she stated that the rollout of Obamacare was “disastrous” and that "Orange County’s Board of Supervisors did the right thing by blocking Obamacare implementation in the County for as long as they could." When the Sacramento Bee reached out to Steel's campaign in July 2020, a campaign spokesperson would not state Steel's position on the ACA, though they stated, "Michelle believes there needs to be better accessibility in our health care system, more choice, more affordable health care premiums and more affordable prescription medicines and that’s something that Obamacare in its current form fails to do...She does support some aspects like preexisting conditions. What she does not support is socialized medicine.” Steel has stated that she supports "a market-based system that gives Americans options to affordable, quality health care plans ... and [gives] them access to more affordable prescription drugs."
In 2017, Steel stated that she wanted "nothing to do with” allowing marijuana operations in Orange County following the passage of California Proposition 64, which legalized recreational marijuana usage for those aged 21 or older.
During the October 2019 groundbreaking of a mental health and wellness campus in Orange County, Steel stated, "Having access to mental health services for all of our County’s citizens is critical, and so is collaboration between health care providers...The progress we are making here is one significant part of the many projects we are working on countywide to improve access to mental health services.” In November 2019, the Orange County Board of Supervisors voted in favor of a mental health care clinic in the city of Costa Mesa, despite objections by city officials. In a March 2020 press release regarding how the Orange County Board of Supervisors had unanimously approved a dozen new spaces at College Hospital’s Crisis Stabilization Unit for involuntary detention, evaluation and treatment, Steel stated, “Making sure that our hospitals are provided with the best tools to care for patients that are suffering from mental health disorders while awaiting treatment is of the utmost importance for Orange County health facilities,” adding that, "Providing mental health evaluation and treatment to individuals who are involuntarily detained helps them quickly access the appropriate level of care they need.” Steel's campaign website says, "With the help of regional leaders, I’ve led efforts [to fight homelessness] to create thousands of new supportive housing units that provide medical care, mental health treatment, job counseling, and social services." In 2017, when discussing the then-recently released "Opioid Overdose and Death in Orange County” report, Steel stated, "There must be a community effort of individuals, private and nonprofit organizations, and the government to reduce the number of people dying in this completely preventable manner.” In a September 2020 Orange County Board of Supervisors meeting, Steel recognized September as National Recovery Month.
Steel has stated that she supports a "market-based [health care] system that gives Americans...access to more affordable prescription drugs."
Steel has stated: "One of my top priorities is to ensure Veterans have access to quality and timely medical care, housing, employment, and education opportunities."
Steel is pro-life and has been endorsed by pro-life organizations such as the Susan B. Anthony List.
Steel is on the board for CalOptima, a health insurance system for low-income Californians.
