Montana Democratic Party Executive Director Lindeen Issues Statement on Affordable Care Act Enrollment

HELENA, Montana, Dec. 12 -- The Montana Democratic Party issued the following statement by Executive Director Monica Lindeen on the Dec. 15 deadline to enroll in the Affordable Care Act for coverage in 2020:

"The ACA has provided lifesaving and preventative care for tens of thousands of Montanans,"

"It's incredibly important that Montanans are informed about their options for care, particularly at a time when politicians in Washington D.C. are trying to undermine access to healthcare, drive up costs, and harm those with pre-existing conditions.

"Our health centers around the state stand ready to assist and Montanans should work to finalize their coverage before the closely approaching deadline."

Lindeen, the former Commissioner of Securities and Insurance for Montana, oversaw the implementation of the Affordable Care Act in Montana from the time it was passed in 2009 through 2016. In 2015, the Montana Legislature passed a Medicaid expansion bill to complement the ACA, and that program, which serves nearly 100,000 Montanans, was re-authorized in 2019.

More than 45,000 Montanans signed up for the Affordable Care Act in 2019, but recent decisions by the Trump Administration and GOP leaders have attacked the programs and made it harder for citizens to access the information that assists with enrollment, which is critical to people being able to use the services.