Mike Cooney, Democratic candidate for governor unveiled a “Keep Montana Healthy” plan on Wednesday he said would increase access to health care, lower prescription drug costs and support health care jobs for Montanans.
“I’ve fought for Montanans’ health care my entire life, and I’ve delivered results. As your next governor, I promise to fight for your family’s access to quality, affordable health care just as hard as I’d fight for my own,” Cooney said in a news release.
Cooney, now serving as lieutenant governor, was joined in Bozeman by running mate Casey Schreiner, who represents Great Falls and serves as state House Democratic minority leader.
They noted they both worked with Republicans and Democrats in the Legislature to pass Medicaid expansion, which provides health care to nearly 1 in 10 Montanans and has prevented rural hospitals from closing in the state.
Cooney said Medicaid expansion was not only about providing health care, but it was also about creating good-paying jobs. He said it has created 7,500 jobs and $385 million in personal income.
“Anyone who wants to mess with Medicaid expansion in Montana will have to come through me first,” Cooney said.
Schreiner expressed frustration as a father, husband and son with health care.
He talked about his father, who died a couple years ago, being a Type 2 diabetic who had to chose between quality of life and quality of health because of the cost of prescription drugs. He said he was glad to see Cooney’s plan focuses on prescription drug costs, because it’s not just about money, but people’s lives.
Cooney is running against Republican Greg Gianforte, who has Great Falls resident Kristen Juras as his running mate.
According to the Cooney campaign, the Cooney plan will: Require insurance companies operating in Montana to fully cover the cost of COVID-19 testing and treatment and implement infectious disease standards for workplaces.
His plan will preserve Medicaid expansion by vetoing any attempts to weaken the state’s existing program and supporting repealing bureaucratic barriers to care for eligible Montanans.
The plan will oppose efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which he said would end protections for 152,000 Montanans with pre-existing conditions and health care coverage for 90,000 Montanans through Medicaid expansion.
“Medicaid expansion has been a lifeline for rural Montana and I am damn proud of the work we put in to reauthorize it,” Cooney said.
He said he would reduce the cost of prescription drugs by allowing the safe and legal importation of prescription drugs from Canada by entities other than manufacturers or the Food and Drug Administration.
Cooney said he would cap the price of insulin copays to $50 for a 30-day supply and cover insulin without being subject to a deductible.
He said he will propose the Montana Anti-Prescription Drug Price Gouging Act to discourage drug manufacturers or wholesalers from increasing the list or wholesale prices for certain treatments by requiring manufacturers to justify a 25% or more increase in a drug’s wholesale acquisition price, during a 6-month period, to the attorney general.
Cooney said he would increase access to behavioral and rural health care by providing incentives for providers, streamline licensing measures for nurses and increase support for tele-health and telemedicine.
Reporter Phil Drake is our eye on the state capitol. For tips, suggestions or comment, he can be reached at 406-231-9021 or [email protected]. To support his work, subscribe today and receive a special offer.
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