Tester Calls on Congress to Lower Health Care Costs for Montanans

Senator Doubles Down on Support for Bipartisan Solutions

(U.S. Senate)-U.S. Senator Jon Tester today issued the following statement after Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced the Senate will not be voting on the controversial Graham-Cassidy health care proposal because it failed to earn a simple majority of votes:

“I’ve looked Montanans in the eye and they have told me loud and clear, it’s time for Washington to work together and lower health care costs. I’m fully committed to getting that done, and now that partisan games have stalled these efforts, I urge my colleagues to start working together to improve health care.”

Tester on Monday met with Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), the Chairman of the Senate Health Committee, to emphasize the importance of bipartisan work on health care.

Tester has sponsored numerous bills that will lower costs and increase access to health care.

• Individual Health Insurance Marketplace Improvement Act
  A bill to create a new permanent reinsurance program to help cover the claims of the sickest enrollees in the Marketplace.

• Marketplace Certainty Act
  A bill to ensure the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services stabilizes health insurance markets by making cost-sharing reduction payments.

• SPIKE ACT
  A bill to force drug companies to publicly report detailed information when they raise the price of their drugs.

• SAME ACT
  A bill to ensure Montana gets its fair share of Medicaid expansion funding.

• Restoring Rural Residencies Act
  A bill to allow Medicare to reimburse residency programs for the time residents spend at Critical Access Hospitals.

• Addressing Affordability for More Americans Act
  A bill to provide premium tax credits to working Montanans, who make too much money to qualify for existing tax credits, but still can’t afford health insurance.