With the release late last week of the “Better Care Reconciliation Act,” a bill written by Republican senators behind closed doors, critics were quick to speak out against the bill.
The health care industry is onesixth of the nation’s economy, pointed out Montana’s Democratic Senator Jon Tester, one of the critics. “It affects everyone’s life at some point or another and to not have an open discussion on this for months is not the right way to go,” Tester said.
According to Lee Newspapers, nearly 100 Montanans concerned about the Better Care Reconciliation Act attended a town hall hosted by Sen. Jon Tester in Great Falls last week. They urged him to do what he can to protect the health care support they depend on. Tester had been sharing real stories from Montanans on social media, giving constituents a chance to share how health care proposals before Congress would affect them personally.
One such story comes from Justin Anthony in Missoula: “After a minor heart incident in 2004, from which I completely recovered two months later, I was denied health insurance. They used every incident in my medical record to justify not covering a person who went to the doctor and took care of himself. I could not afford any medical intervention on several conditions that continued to worsen. In 2013 I was involved in a vehicle crash and grossly self-underinsured. I am still paying St. Pat’s the equivalent of a new F250 every month. Nine years after my first denials I was insured through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and managed to catch up on some of my health issues. Among other things my back was too far gone and needed a double fusion. This year I had total knee replacement. I have endured years of pain and could not work. ACA has changed everything and I am returning to an active, productive life again.”
In speaking to Senate colleagues, the senator also shared other stories he has heard as the only member of Montana’s congressional delegation to hold face-to-face listening session with people across the state. Tester highlighted the story of Julie Williams from Shepherd, Montana.
Julie was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2011 and because of the current health care law she was able to receive coverage. The unpopular American Health Care Act, which narrowly passed the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this year, threatens Julie’s ability to get affordable coverage. Tester spoke about Jennifer Williams from East Glacier, Montana.
Jennifer and her husband use preventative care services in the current health care system to stay healthy and catch ailments before they become life-threatening. Jennifer and her husband’s premiums are rising and Tester called for bipartisan reform to address that problem. “Instead of scoring political points and upending all the good things about the current health care system, Congress should be working together to lower premiums, copays, and deductibles, while increasing access to life-saving medical care,” Tester said.
At the town hall in Great Falls, Tester told the crowd, “This Medicaid thing is going to hit rural states in a big way. Rural states like Montana get pounded.” The Senate is expected to take a vote on the health care proposal before the end of this week. Montana’s only other senator, Steve Daines, had no announced by press time how he intends to vote on the bill. He said he wants to gauge responses from Montanans and would do so via teleconference calls.
