The spectrum of health care delivery includes six levels of care: preventive, primary, secondary or acute care, tertiary or special care, restorative, and continuing care. Ideally, all these levels of care would be available within our community, eliminating the extra expense and inconvenience to people involved in going outside the area for health care. However, economic reality dictates that some services, particularly in the categories of secondary and tertiary care, will not be available locally.

There are a variety of provider groups, both private and tax-supported, involved in health care delivery including: hospitals, the health department, clinics, individual and group practitioners, educational and support groups, residential homes, outpatient services, health maintenance organizations, and day care centers. It is the position of the League of Women Voters of Benton and Franklin Counties that: All health care planning involve opportunity or strong local input.

• spending decisions should favor programs that will be meeting a need currently unserved rather than duplicating an existing service.
• we encourage cooperation among the health care providers, to help avoid the unnecessary duplication of services.
• emphasis should be placed on preventive health care and educational efforts. It is recognized that individuals should be personally responsible for their own health and health care.
• hospitals need to remain economically viable and should be allowed and encouraged to develop new or alternative programs and services, provided the need has been assessed.
• the community needs increased services in the restorative and continuing care areas.
• the hospice concept is valuable and deserves community support and the expansion of services.
• the Benton-Franklin District Health Department should continue in its multi-jurisdictional format.
• the availability of health care insurance is an important factor in health care delivery. We support measures to ensure access to insurance for the greatest number of persons.