Issue Position: Health Care

Issue Position

In June 2009, the Legislature and the Governor cut $15.3 million in state fudging for hospital residencies for medical school graduates, triggering the loss of an additional $29.6 million in federal funding. Arizona currently ranks 44th in the nation for the number of primary care providers per population.(4)

From 2009-11, the Governor and the Legislature gutted the state's AHCCCS and KidsCare programs, leaving over 300,000 kids without adequate health insurance. In 2012, the Legislature reinstated a portion of the KidsCare funding, but not sufficiently to add new children to the program. Children without access to healthcare are less likely to do well in school (which brings us back to the education issue, above).

Some in our legislature are so driven by ideology, they fail to see the pragmatism behind insuring that our children are prepared properly for a healthy, educated and engaged life. For short term political gain they are increasing the likelihood that the next generation will not have the tools to build a strong economy --or even take care of this generation of leaders when they are in their advanced years.

Source