As Health Care Bill Returns to Shadows, Tester Warns Montanans About #WhatsAtRisk

Senator Turns to Facebook Following Face-to-Face Town Hall Meeting

(U.S. Senate) – As the Senate health care bill returns to the shadows, U.S. Senator Jon Tester today hosted an online town hall meeting with thousands of Montanans from across the state to warn them about what’s at risk if they lose access to health care.

Tester took questions from dozens of Facebook users and responded in real time to their concerns about the Senate’s Better Care Reconciliation Act, which was written in secret and will leave 22 million Americans uninsured over the next decade.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell today cancelled a scheduled vote on the so-called Better Care Reconciliation Act, likely leaving future negotiations to a small group of Senators who will hold more secret, closed-door meetings without input from Montanans.

“Folks are concerned that they and their loved ones will lose access to health care, and unfortunately that is exactly what this disastrous proposal will do,” Tester said. “It is critical that elected officials listen to their constituents, and after hearing face-to-face from Montanans this week, it is crystal clear that Montanans do not support this plan. Let’s put this dangerous legislation aside so Republicans and Democrats can work together to improve access and lower the cost of health care for all Montanans.”

Tester’s online townhall reached over 230,000 people, received nearly 500 comments, and was shared almost 100 times. However, Tester noted that online or telephone town halls do not replace the importance of meeting with Montanans face-to-face. Tester is the only member of Montana’s Congressional delegation willing to do so.

The Better Care Reconciliation Act will:

• Threaten coverage for people with pre-existing conditions like high-blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes.
• Raise long-term out-of-pocket health care costs, like premiums and deductibles.
• Jeopardize small community hospitals by increasing uncompensated care and bad debt.
• Allow insurers to waste your money on administrative costs instead of on your health care costs. 
• Risk reinstating annual & lifetime caps on health care coverage.
• Cost Montana taxpayers millions in savings from Medicaid expansion.

You can view the entire town hall HERE.