Senate health care bill not the answer for Montanans

The Affordable Care Act has led to immense and very positive changes in health care access and how it is delivered to millions of Americans. Here in Montana at Providence St. Patrick Hospital, Providence St. Joseph Medical Center and our Providence Medical Group clinics, we are serving many more people who now have regular access to care, often for the first time.

While not perfect, the ACA has resulted in new Medicaid coverage for 77,000 Montanans - our friends, neighbors and loved ones. The U.S. House and Senate bills to replace the ACA will largely undo these coverage gains, including Medicaid expansion.

The cuts in the Senate’s Better Care Reconciliation Act will not only cancel the Medicaid expansion but also will deconstruct Medicaid itself. The cuts will have disastrous, far-reaching effects. Medicaid today supports rural health clinics, rural hospitals, preventive screenings for at-risk children, prenatal care and other services. Medicaid also is the largest provider of long-term care and nursing home services for the frail and elderly in the U.S.

If the Senate passes the bill, fewer people will have Medicaid to count on when they are challenged with diabetes, an addiction to pain killers, a mental health issue, an aging parent who needs nursing home care or special services for a child with a disability. Truly, these are some of the most fragile and vulnerable people in our Montana communities. For perspective, more than 200,000 Montanans depend on Medicaid for their care, including those who have been able to receive regular care thanks to the expansion.

We believe health care should be accessible and affordable for all - because illness can affect anyone. Our providers have seen that when health care insurance is not available or affordable, many won’t seek treatment and will suffer unnecessarily. Large population losses in coverage and access will affect the health and well-being of whole communities and many of our rural hospital partners. The loss of health care access will be personal and catastrophic to thousands of Montanans - from Missoula to Miles City, from Yaak to Alzada.

The bill under consideration in the Senate would make the biggest changes to Medicaid since it began in the 1960s. This bill takes us backward rather than moving us into a better future. We need thoughtful legislative solutions that will maintain coverage and access to care while reframing and delivering a better product. Together, we can find ways to make Medicaid programs more innovative and efficient.

Please join us in asking your U.S. Senators to vote against the Better Care Reconciliation Act.