Graham, Meyer and Ror Offer Divergent Health-Care Plans; All Cite Mental-Health Crisis

Health care and mental health were major topics at the candidate forum. A voter asked how each candidate would address the health-care crisis and how their plans differ.

Brad Meyer said he favors "universal nonprofit health care" — calling it Medicare for All — arguing the current system leaves people "going broke just trying to stay alive." Kyle Ror said he favors reinstating ACA subsidies and keeping private coverage where feasible while creating a universal supplement; he called Medicare-for-all a "pipe dream" because of doctor shortages, tax increases and operational challenges. Jim Graham said he would expand and improve the Affordable Care Act and supports a public option as a practical path forward.

All three addressed mental-health needs in their responses to a later question. Brad Meyer said Indiana spends "about $4 billion a year" on treatment or effects of untreated mental illness and emphasized early intervention in schools, boosting social workers and improving pipelines into treatment and rehabilitation. He also linked recidivism to insufficient rehabilitation, saying that "70% of people coming out of our jail system reoffend within three years," and argued for investing in treatment and workforce supports. Jim Graham called for better coordination of existing state and federal programs and helping constituents find federal resources, and Kyle Ror pointed to federal programs (Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP), veterans' courts, and integration of federal-state policies.

What candidates didn’t agree on was scale and path. Meyer said universal coverage is the durable solution; Ror and Graham favored more incremental or mixed approaches focused on restoring subsidies and adding a public option. Several candidates emphasized funding, workforce shortages and the need to connect people leaving incarceration with training and employment.

The forum did not produce legislative text or binding commitments; candidates framed proposals as campaign priorities to pursue if elected.