Rosendale Puts His Campaign Before Montana, Brags About Being in DC as Officials Hold Health Care Price Transparency Meeting in Helena
Helena – In what has become a very familiar pattern, wealthy East Coast developer Matt Rosendale put his own self-interests over Montanans’ health care.
At a panel convened last Friday, state workers studying “pricing transparency in health care” discussed ways to help Montanans by increasing the price transparency of their medical costs. They heard from health care professionals on the importance of transparency in costs for patients as well as ways to provide that information.
Seems like a good hearing for the state’s insurance commissioner himself to attend.
But where was Maryland Matt? Off campaigning...in Washington DC, putting his own personal agenda over Montana. He even bragged about it in a press release.
Rosendale should be fighting to protect Montanans from higher health care costs and to increase pricing transparency, but instead, he’s got a long rap sheet of failing to defend Montanans from severe spikes in health care costs.
So if he’s not doing his job as Insurance Commissioner, what exactly does Rosendale do besides campaign for another job?
On the Administration cutting CSR payments, which help keep costs down for Montanans: “Monitoring the situation…”
When other insurance commissioners speak up against the Administration ending CSR payments: Silence.
When a Montana insurer sent notices saying it would no longer offer Medicare Advantage in 30 Montana counties: “We feel for people being harmed by this.”
When health insurers got the okay to dramatically raise rates on Montanans: “Out-of-state” and unavailable to answer questions.
When Congress considered a repeal bill, which would’ve jacked up costs for Montanans: Rosendale came out in favor of the bill, after avoiding discussing it for weeks.
When Blue Cross Blue Shield explained the reason for their proposed hike: Rosendale “appeared to misunderstand…”
On a 2015 bill that expanded Medicaid in Montana: Rosendale voted against.
On a 2013 bill that would give the Auditor power to review proposed health insurance rate hikes: Rosendale voted against.
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