Adopted February 1985, Updated January 1989

The League of Women Voters believes that access to a basic level of health care is a right. The League also supports public funding for long-term care services for all who need them.

When public financing of basic health care is necessary in Indiana for those who cannot pay, it should be funded by a combination of state, local, and/or federal revenues. The state should provide payment according to the individual's resources. Increased state funding is necessary to provide long-term care services, but not to the extent that good existing programs become underfunded. Safeguards should be established to protect the medically indigent. The League supports continued public funding of prenatal care for poor women in Indiana.

Services provided in the home and community should be at least as cost-effective as services provided in institutions and of comparable quality. Hospitals should not make up shortfalls from Medicare and Medicaid by shifting costs to commercially insured and paying patients. This burden should be spread among all taxpayers.

We advocate services that support the total health of the individual and support the family in providing such services to family members. Preventive medicine and consumer education are effective mechanisms for controlling costs and improving the quality of life. Activities which must be performed in the course of daily living, general health maintenance and screening, and support of the family caregivers are among the services for which the League supports public funding. Continued funding by the private sector of programs to promote healthful lifestyles should be encouraged, but the state needs to be able to act where adequate local programs do not exist.

Minimum standards should be established for all local public health departments in Indiana and for the operation of all health care facilities. Nursing homes should be regulated by the State Board of Health.

We believe that case management, which identifies and assesses need, coordinates the plan of care, advocates care for those in need, and monitors and reassesses care, is essential for those receiving health and long-term care in the home or community.

Health care planning — a process to forecast future developments and allocate scarce resources to meet future needs — should be adequately funded by the state. A mechanism for local input into the planning process is essential.