Indiana has some of the worst infant and maternal mortality rates in the country. And those numbers are even worse among Black Hoosiers and in rural areas.

Indiana’s candidates for governor were asked how to address that problem at a recent forum held by the Indiana University Public Policy Institute.

Republican Mike Braun said the state’s infant and maternal mortality rates are a “shameful” statistic. And his approach to solving them is rooted in lowering health care costs.

“Generally getting better ways that we actually run our own lives, to keep ourselves healthy and then not demand expensive, immediate remediation, you’ll actually get at the roots of things like infant and maternal mortality,” Braun said.

Democrat Jennifer McCormick said while health care monopolies are part of the problem, she points to Indiana’s abortion ban, which she said makes it harder for doctors to practice.

“It really does not incentivize the most talented to come to Indiana or to stay in Indiana,” McCormick said.

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Libertarian Donald Rainwater said Indiana must address professional licensing to allow more midwives to practice.

“Because in many of these areas — whether it be an urban area or a rural area — our large, corporate health care facilities and organizations, for whatever reason, don’t deem it profitable to provide health care,” Rainwater said.

Rainwater said he also wants to figure out how to make it financially viable for the “old country doctor” to practice in rural areas.

Brandon is our Statehouse bureau chief. Contact him at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.