DRAFT

First District Platform - 2006=

Iow= a Democratic Party=

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HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES

Human Services

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HS-1    = We support adequately funded programs to assist families in transition from a level of economic subsistence to economic independence, which includes healthcare, child care, vocational/educational training and transportation.=

HS-2    = We support a federal food stamp program which insures basic nutritional standa= rds and increases with the cost of living.

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HS-3    We support adequat= ely staffed and funded programs to provide for family preservation, appropriate= interventions, placement out of the home when a child is in danger, family reunification whenever indicated, and timely permanency planning in order to ensure a child’s right to a safe and stable environment and reasonable protect= ion from predators.

HS-4    = We support adequately funding community-based programs which provide counseling and protective services for abused women and children, the disabled, the elderly, and remediation and treatment for offenders.

HS-5    = We support federal oversight to ensure clear, timely, and consistent applicati= on of Interstate Compact, which guarantees cooperative reciprocity among all states.

HS-6    = We support adequately funded programs which provide staff and services to enab= le senior citizens to live independently.

HS-7    We support continu= ed funding of the Older Americans Act programs and services.

HS-8    = We support the Social Security System remaining a universal, mandatory, contributory, social insurance system which is not subject to privatization= .

HS-9    = We support Social Security benefits for “notch babies”.

HS-10 We support public/private partnership to provide affordable housing for low and moderate income famil= ies.

HS-11 We su= pport public transportation which meets community needs.

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HS-12 = We support community-based programs, which promote common ground shared by “pro-life” and “pro-choice” advocates, and helping girls and women with their unplanned pregnancies.

HS-13 We su= pport amendments to the Americans with Disabilities Act which address oversight a= nd penalties for failure to comply.

HS-14 We support public assistance f= or victims of human trafficking, the training of law enforcement officials in handling human trafficking offenses, and penalties for its perpetrators.

Health = Care

HC-1 We support national health insuranc= e that is universal, without gaps, affordable to individuals and families, afforda= ble and sustainable for society, and which enhance health and well-being by promoting access to high quality professional care that is effective, efficient, safe, timely, patient-centered, and equitable.

HC-2 We support the development of a str= ategy to achieve universal health insurance that includes a firm and explicit schedule to achieve this goal by 2010.

HC-3 We support funding programs which emphasize wellness, nutrition, and physical activity to combat the top two causes of preventable death, i.e., tobacco use and obesity.

HC-4 We support age-appropriate, medical= ly accurate reproductive education including information about sexually transmitted diseases, responsible sexual behavior, and access to voluntary family planning.

HC-5 We support increased funding for research into better treatments for people who suffer from any debilitating or life-threatening condition.

HC-6 We support the expansion of stem cell research according to guidelines recomme= nded by medical ethicists.

HC-7 We support maintaining current levels of funding for Medicaid.

HC-8 We support maintaining the HAWK-I (Healthy And Well Kids in Iowa) program.

HC-9 = We support full mental health parity and a patient’s right of choice of mental healthcare providers.

HC-10 We support parity of dental= and vision health coverage with other healthcare services in private and public= plans, including Medicaid and Medicare and the patient’s right of choice of providers.

HC-11 We support the rights of individuals in non-traditional families to be covered by family healthcare insurance.

HC-12 We support the creation of = the Office of National Nurse.

HC-13 We urge members of the healthcare and legal professio= ns to develop collaborative approaches to containing malpractice premiums.

HC-14 Until there is national hea= lth insurance, we support the creation of a state-wide healthcare pool, volunta= rily composed of all governmental bodies, small businesses, farmers, and individ= uals who choose to join, to establish group power to negotiate lower healthcare coverage costs.