We are failing our women and children
No person should worry that a pregnancy will end in their death or the death of a loved one. Women’s health care has been on the receiving end of too many cuts over the years. Indiana ranks 16th worst for maternal deaths. We need to prioritize medical care for pregnant women in order to live up to the pro-life values that this state claims by expanding coverage for pregnancies.
We proclaim on billboards across the state how much we love infants. Despite this, Indiana has one of the worst infant mortality rates in the nation – 13th worst. It’s time to go to rural hospitals and find out what they need in order to provide adequate neonatal care, instead of letting lobby groups influence our policies
Mental health care deserts
Every person, no matter their age or background, should have access to affordable mental health services. For much of district 73, the nearest mental health provider that has availability is in Indianapolis or Cincinnati. When gas prices soar, this long drive adds to health care costs. We desperately need to attract more providers to our rural communities through grant programs and other incentives.
As a Mental Health Now candidate, I am committed to supporting policy to improve mental health in America, which means increasing access to mental health care, improving crisis response, and expanding youth mental health services.
Medicaid savings – But at what cost?
Recently, Mitch Roob proudly announced that the state would be saving over $300 million in 2026. “These savings are driven by enrollment declines in key Medicaid programs, including the Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP) and Hoosier Healthwise (HHW), following strategic changes to eligibility…” is a fancy way to say “We saved money by kicking people off of their insurance.”
To be clear, these are not “freeloaders and deadbeats” that are no longer “milking the system” like some would lead you to believe. HHW covers children and pregnant women that can’t afford insurance, and HIP is for low income and disabled people. These are people whose employers do not provide adequate wages to afford a Marketplace plan under the Affordable Care Act (commonly referred to as Obamacare). These are families whose jobs do not offer affordable health care.
I would know – I was one of them.
When my son was born 11 weeks premature, my employer at the time offered a health care plan that would have cost around 30% of my pay. My wife’s employer offered a similar plan, at a similar cost. Medicaid covered his NICU stay. The affordable marketplace plans at the time had deductibles high enough that they would have eaten through half of my income.
We were both working full-time, doing everything “right” but still could not afford health insurance and groceries at the same time.