Kay Ivey on Health Care

	Kay Ivey on Health Care

Commitment to expanding access to quality mental health care

I am proud that my Administration, with the support of the Legislature, is doing more to make significant improvements in mental health care than any since Governor Lurleen Wallace in the 1960s. In my commitment to expanding access to quality mental health care, I am proposing a $12 million investment for two additional mental health crisis centers, as well as other health services. Source: 2022 State of the State Address to the Alabama legislature , Jan 10, 2022

Opposes vaccine mandates in spite of more than 14,000 deaths

The COVID pandemic hit the state hard and has led to more than 14,000 deaths since the first Alabama case was confirmed in March, 2020. Ivey encouraged vaccinations (though she opposed mandates) and allowed a statewide mask mandate to remain in place through the spring, longer than some of her fellow Republican governors in the South did. But she took a much less prominent role during the summer surge in COVID-19 cases in the state that slammed the health care system. Source: Montgomery Advertiser on 2022 Alabama Gubernatorial race , Oct 6, 2021

Accused by opponents of shaming the unvaccinated

Ivey said: "It's the unvaccinated folks that are letting us down," when asked why Alabama leads the nation in unvaccinated persons. "These folks are choosing a horrible lifestyle of self-inflicted pain. We've got to get folks to take the shot. The vaccine is the greatest weapon we have to fight COVID. There's no question about that." Her political opponents accused her of shaming those Alabamians who have chosen not to get the vaccine. Source: AL Political Reporter on 2022 Alabama Gubernatorial race , Jun 30, 2021

Incentivize medical professionals to build rural practices

Another sign of our commitment to improving the lives of those who live in rural Alabama is my full support for a pilot program to incentivize primary care physicians and nurse practitioners to establish services in medically underserved areas. By encouraging medical professionals to build a practice in these areas, we can literally transform many small towns throughout the state. Source: 2020 Alabama State of the State address , Feb 4, 2020

ObamaCare does much more harm than good

Our current health care system needs a trip to the doctor. Almost 20 cents of every dollar earned in America is spent on healthcare. Insurance choices are shrinking, the cost of family coverage has doubled since 2000, and the current recession has many families fearing they're only a paycheck away from losing their health insurance.

While providing affordable health care to every American is a noble, compassionate goal, President Obama's federally mandated plan will do much more harm than good. If it is passed, almost 120 million Americans could lose their private coverage. In the end, government bureaucrats would make your health care choices? Not your doctor, not you.

On top of that, taxes would have to be raised on almost all Americans to pay for these "free" services. And, if a serious budget crisis ever hit, the government could limit the amount of care and services you and your family would be able to receive.

Source: 2010 Alabama Gubernatorial campaign website KayIvey.org , Mar 31, 2010

Each state creates its own insurance pool for high risk

To fix our health care system, we must:

Remove the tax penalty for families who choose to buy their own health insurance.
Spend our federal health care dollars more responsibly, instead of spending $1.6 trillion on a plan financed by tax increases and savings from Medicare and Medicaid.
Develop health insurance plans for each state, not for the whole country. Every state faces its own health care challenges; each state should be able to create its own insurance pool for high-cost individuals.
We need more legal reform. We need tort-reform legislation that addresses the exorbitant cost of malpractice insurance for doctors due to the frivolous lawsuit abuse brought on by greedy trial lawyers.
Create a new category of one-time insurance called "patient indemnity insurance" to purchase coverage for a botched surgery or other medical complication.
Reform malpractice law by granting immunity to medical professionals who provide emergency or charity care

Source: 2010 Alabama Gubernatorial campaign website KayIvey.org , Mar 31, 2010

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*Other governors on Health Care:*			*Kay Ivey on other issues:*
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