The latest version of the Senate health care bill, released last week, drew a rapid response from Montana’s U.S. Senator Jon Tester, a Democrat.
“This plan rips away coverage from thousands of Montanans, allows insurers to deny Montanans coverage if they have pre-existing conditions like high blood pressure, and imposes an age tax on folks in their 50s and 60s,” said Tester. “This pig got more lipstick, but it still smells like a pigpen,” he said. He urged fellow lawmakers to work cooperatively, rather than through a small group of Republicans who have been crafting the senate versions behind closed doors.
“Congress needs to work together to address rising premiums and deductibles, and when they are ready to work in a bipartisan manner, I’ll be waiting at the table,” said the senator. Montana’s other U.S. Senator, Steve Daines, has posted the updated bill on his official Senate website but has not posted a position on the bill.
According to a report in the Billings Gazette in June, Daines said he was frustrated with the lack of transparency in the process. For any bill to work for Montanans, it would have to make healthcare more affordable and provide an option for affordable coverage for people with preexisting conditions, he reportedly said.
