Empowering Indiana: The Black Legislative Caucus’s 2025 Agenda for Advancing Physical and Mental Health Care

The Black caucus is focusing on health-related bills this session. Their goal is to improve both physical and mental health for everyone.

Some key bills they support include:

• More coverage for obesity treatments
• Funding for mental health care for first responders
• Improved coverage for maternal health programs
• Education on water safety and dementia-related issues

Caucus Chair, Rep. Earl Harris, Jr. from East Chicago, emphasized that good health is about more than just getting medical services. It’s also about ensuring people have access to healthy food and safe housing. He believes that training and keeping medical professionals in Indiana is vital for better health overall.

Rep. Greg Porter from Indianapolis pointed out that social factors play a big role in health. He likened addressing health concerns to having multiple lanes on a highway; the more lanes we create to tackle these issues, the better the outcomes will be.

However, many of these proposals require funding during a time when the state budget is tight. Republicans are considering cuts to Medicaid spending, which adds to the challenge.

Rep. Robin Shackleford, also from Indianapolis, noted that investing in health upfront can lead to savings later. By making these investments now, they can potentially reduce costs in the long run.

This legislative session will continue until April, and many are hoping for fruitful discussions and outcomes related to health funding.