Tag: Health Care

Daines, Zinke Announce Legislation to Protect Tribes from Costly Obamacare Employer Mandate

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) and Representative Ryan Zinke (R-MT) today announced the introduction of legislation to protect Native American tribes from Obamacare’s costly employer mandate. The Tribal Employment and Jobs Protection Act, which was introduced today in the Senate and House, will exempt tribes and tribal employers from Obamacare’s employer mandate. The bills prevent massive fines that tribal employers would incur under Obamacare’s employer mandate. “Tribes should not be forced to pay severe fines due to duplicative federal mandates in the President’s flawed health care law,” Daines stated. “These unreasonable fines have the potential to kill jobs

Daines Statement on Obamacare Supreme Court Ruling

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines today released the following statement on the Supreme Court’s King v. Burwell ruling: “Obamacare is a poorly written law that is failing the American people. I’ll continue working to repeal this failed law and replace it with Montana-driven solutions that increase access to affordable care for all Montanans and put patients first.” ###

Daines Works to Ensure Due Process for Veterans Erroneously Discharged

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines today announced he has helped introduce two measures to ensure due process for veterans who suffer from mental health illnesses who may have been erroneously given an administrative discharge, rather than an honorable discharge. Daines has joined Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) to introduce S. 1567 which ensures active duty members who suffer from invisible wounds, like Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) aren’t incorrectly administratively discharged. An administrative discharge is often given for minor misconducts, which can be attributed to behaviors seen in those suffering from PTSD or TBI.

Daines Takes to Senate Floor to Blast Rising Costs of Obamacare

Senator Steve Daines today took to the Senate floor to blast the rising costs of Obamacare in Montana, as insurers across the state have asked for double-digit increases in premiums for 2016. Below are key excerpts from Daines’ floor speech: “Look no further than Montana, where it is evident that health care premiums aren’t as affordable as President Obama promised they would be. “Policies sold through Obamacare exchanges are becoming even more expensive. “In Montana, according to fillings with the Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance…insurers across the board are asking for double-digit increases for 2016 policies. “Blue Cross Blue

Daines Fights for Montana Veterans’ Priorities in Senate Appropriations Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Steve Daines today helped secure important reforms that increase Montana veterans’ access to health care services and ensure that all Montana veterans are treated with the utmost care and respect in both life and death. Daines successfully worked to include language addressing several of Montana veterans’ long-standing concerns in the FY 2016 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, which was marked up and approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee this afternoon. “Our nation’s heroes should have easy access to the resources, services and medical care they need and deserve,” Daines stated. “I’m glad

Daines: VA Reforms are Welcome First Step in Ensuring Veterans Receive Needed Care

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Steve Daines today commended the Department of Veterans’ Affairs for addressing Montana veterans’ long standing concerns and taking steps to ensure veterans are able to receive health care services close to home.  The VA announced today that it is reforming its calculation used to determine distance between a veteran’s residence and the nearest VA health facility when allowing veterans who live more than 40-miles from a VA facility to receive care closer to home.  Daines called the reform “an important step forward,” while also reiterating his call to address a loophole that prevents some veterans from receiving

Daines: Obamacare Needs to be Repealed and Replaced

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On the five-year anniversary of President Obama’s signing Obamacare into law, Senator Steve Daines today called for the President’s health care overhaul to be repealed and replaced with state-led solutions that put patients in the center of the health care equation:  “Here we stand at the five-year anniversary of Obamacare. I remember hearing President Obama and Nancy Pelosi tell us that premiums would go down, that we’d have better access to health care and that if we like our health care plans, we could keep them. Well five years later, we look behind at a trail of broken

Daines Fights for Tribal Needs at Three Senate Hearings

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Steve Daines today fought for Montana’s tribes, pressing Obama administration witnesses on the responsible stewardship of federal funds to benefit tribal housing, health services and public safety. During three different Senate Committee hearings today, Daines called on witnesses to ensure that federal dollars intended for Montana’s tribes are being properly allocated to help tribal members on Montana’s reservations, rather than being misused or creating bureaucratic waste. Daines sought to rein in exorbitant administrative costs at Indian Health Service (IHS), ensure efficient allocation of tribal housing resources and address the communications challenges facing first responders on reservations and

Daines, Gillibrand to Help Thousands of “Blue Water” Vietnam Vets Harmed by Agent Orange, but Ignored by Feds Due to Technicality in the Law

Current Law Requires VA To Provide Benefits For Service Members Exposed To Agent Orange On Dry Ground, But Ignores Vets Off Shore WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Steve Daines (R-MT) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) introduced legislation to ensure thousands of Navy veterans known as “Blue Water” vets from the Vietnam War exposed to the powerful toxin Agent Orange will be eligible to receive disability and health care benefits they have earned for diseases linked to Agent Orange exposure. During the Vietnam War, the U.S. military sprayed approximately 20 million gallons of Agent Orange in Vietnam to remove jungle foliage. This

Daines: Naming of Permanent VA Montana Director Is Welcome News

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Steve Daines today released the following statement in response to John Ginnity being named as the new permanent director of VA Montana: “This is welcome news for Montana veterans. I’m glad to finally see a permanent director put in place at VA Montana, and I wish John the best as he assumes this role. Now that a permanent director has been named, we need to quickly take steps to address the shortages of health care providers and services facing VA Montana and implement much needed reforms to ensure Montana’s veterans receive the best care possible.” ###