We recognize that every person is entitled to basic health care, regardless of income or geographic location.

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE: We support a mental health system that provides access to appropriate treatment for mental, behavioral, developmental disabilities, and substance abuse. Such a system must provide a comprehensive array of services that emphasizes community-based treatment offering equal access for those in need. There should be equivalent insurance coverage for all physical and mental health disorders.

BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH: We support the increasing leadership role of North Carolina's biomedical researchers in exploring medical advances that will benefit all humanity. Recognizing the critical role that stem cell research can play in addressing diabetes, various cancers, spinal cord injuries, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and many other afflictions, we encourage an increased level of support for stem cell research - including the introduction of new stem cell lines - with appropriate ethical controls.

EDUCATION: In order to prevent pregnancy and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, we support medically and factually-comprehensive, age-appropriate educational programs in our schools and public health agencies encouraging abstinence and providing information about safe sexual practices.

HEALTH CARE: We encourage healthy lifestyles. Health care issues such as teen smoking and youth obesity cost taxpayers an estimated $6 billion in medical costs and associated costs. Moreover, we recognize that health care decisions are best made within the context of the healthcare provider and patient relationship. Thus, we believe that each person has the right to choose his or her own physician without interference from government or insurance companies. We support health care reform that provides universal and portable coverage, expanded preventive health care, and public efforts to provide the prenatal care needed to reduce infant mortality.

PATIENTS' RIGHTS: We North Carolina Democrats authored and continue to support the Patients' Bill of Rights, established to improve the relationship between patients, doctors and insurance companies.

SENIORS AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES: We support alternative healthcare delivery systems to allow the elderly and persons with disabilities to remain in a home setting as long as possible. We insist on their protection from abuse, neglect, and deprivation of their rights as persons. We applaud efforts to provide State-supported health care to the poor and to uninsured and underinsured persons.

WELFARE REFORM: We believe that welfare is intended to help families and individuals through extremely tough financial times. We support continued efforts to reform North Carolina's welfare system by emphasizing work, personal responsibility, and helping more welfare recipients to get effective job training get jobs and become self-sufficient.

WOMEN: We believe that every woman should have access to prenatal and postnatal care and appropriate counseling, as well as access to information and counseling regarding all choices related to pregnancies. We believe that a woman's decisions regarding pregnancy should be her own choice and not that of the government. We believe that we should focus on preventing unintended pregnancies and reducing the need for abortion through increasing access to family planning services, access to affordable birth control - including emergency contraception - and by providing comprehensive age-appropriate sex education. Furthermore, abortion must be safe, legal, accessible to all North Carolina women regardless of ability to pay; therefore, the State abortion fund should be fully funded and accessible to indigent women.