Down Syndrome Indiana affirms the right to basic health care services for all people. We strongly believe that Individuals with Down Syndrome have the right to a personal physician of their choice who administers their personal healthcare and allows the individual to be an informed partner in all medical decisions.
Down Syndrome Indiana believes that Medicaid must be funded to eliminate the excessively long waiting list for individuals with Down syndrome. We also believe that individuals with Down Syndrome should be signed up for the Medicaid waiver program at the point of entry into the early intervention system. To often families are not aware of the waiver program and the process for accessing the services. This results in significant delays in families signing up for Medicaid waiver program and thus preventing access to needed services for individuals with Down syndrome.
Down Syndrome Indiana rejects the current trends to consolidate service providers within Indiana. This has resulted in burdening families with additional paperwork and complex processes for accessing services. In addition, the consolidation of service providers has resulted in a shortage of service providers in small cities and rural communities in Indiana. This results in limiting services or forcing families to drive significant distances to receive services.