Daines Pushes to Expand Permanent Telehealth Coverage
U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today sent a letter to Congressional leadership calling for the expansion of access to telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic to be made permanent. Provisions from Daines’ “CONNECT for Health Act” have allowed Medicare beneficiaries in Montana to utilize telehealth services and were included in previous COVID-19 legislation but will expire following the pandemic unless Congress acts to make those measures permanent. “Telehealth has been a critical tool during the COVID-19 pandemic in ensuring that patients can continue to receive the health care services that they need while minimizing the spread of the virus
90 Montana providers registered to dispense COVID-19 vaccine
BILLINGS – As Montana gets ready for its first shipment of the COVID-19 vaccine, state health officials are also busy making sure disbursement is set up and ready to go across the state. Gov. Steve Bullock announced this week that Montana will get over 9,700 doses of the Pfizer vaccine. Officials at both Billings Clinic and St. Vincent Healthcare say they are ready to take them. Bullock says Montana’s first allotment will focus on vaccinating the more than 40,000 health care workers in the state. Those with St. Vincent Healthcare say they are registered with the state of Montana to
Post-Savanna’s Act pilot program launched to improve law enforcement response to missing and murdered Indigenous people
Note: Information for this report came from the offices of U.S. Sens. Jon Tester and Steve Daines and the U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana A push to get more resources, information and investigation for murdered and missing Indigenous persons years in the making took a major step forward this week with the launching of a pilot program on the Flathead Indian Reservation. At a council meeting of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Indian Reservation — CSKT — the CSKT Council and U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana Kurt Alme launched a pilot project
MonDak senators unite to push legislation to help craft breweries
Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, and Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, as well as North Dakota Republican senators Kevin Cramer and John Hoeven have written to Senate Leadership to urge them to pass the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act before the end of the year, which would make permanent existing federal excise tax rates for beverage and alcohol producers. Montana and North Dakota both are among states that have seen a surge in the craft beer industry. It’s not only creating new jobs and businesses across the state, with the potential for becoming tourist and entertainment attractions in and of
Montana to receive 2nd round of COVID-19 antibody treatments
HELENA – The state of Montana is getting a second round delivery of Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approved COVID-19 antibody treatments. Regeneron’s antibody therapeutic, casirivimab and imdevimab, is used to treat non-hospitalized or mildly to moderately symptomatic people over the age of 12-years in danger of advancing to hospitalization or severe symptoms. According to a release from the Office of Sen. Daines, Montana is receiving 150 vials of the Regeneron casirivimab and imdevimab cocktail, one treatment per vial. In addition, Montana is also getting a fourth shipment of Eli Lilly’s antibody therapy this week, and 260 vials of bamlanivimab, one
U.S. Senate passes Sen. Daines’ ALS bill
According to ALS News Today, about 14,000 people in the U.S. are suffering from ALS, or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, a disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, slowly crippling the patient. There is currently no known cause or cure and Social Security Disability Insurance requires a five-month waiting period for treatment. The U.S. Senate this week passed a bipartisan bill presented by Montana Sen. Steve Daines that “will allow Montanans with ALS to receive both Medicare and Social Security Disability Insurance benefits in the first month the patient is under disability,” according to a Dec. 2
Daines applauds deal making Montana minor league teams part of new MLB Partner League
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT), who worked to save Montana’s Minor League Baseball teams when Major League Baseball (MLB) announced it would cut ties with 42 minor league teams across the country, on Monday applauded an agreement by MLB and Montana’s minor league teams that retains professional baseball in the state. “Professional baseball in Montana helps bring our communities together and drive our local economies,” Sen. Daines said. “I’m very glad that after months of negotiations, MLB and Montana’s minor league teams have come to an agreement to allow Great Falls, Missoula, and Billings to continue playing professional baseball in
Daines outlines ingredients of second COVID stimulus package as Congress continues negotiations
BILLINGS- Funding for small businesses, unemployment, schools and local governments is about to run out nationwide as Congress continues to negotiate terms for a second round of COVID-19 stimulus relief funds. However, Montana Republican U.S. Sen. Steve Daines believes lawmakers are close to reaching an agreement if they can get past bipartisan disagreements for how money should be allocated. Daines spoke with MTN News Thursday afternoon from his Washington, D.C., office on a Zoom call. He discussed the importance of a second bill having much of the same relief as the first. Money from the CARES Act, which Congress passed
Daines’ Bipartisan Bill Supporting Montanans Diagnosed with ALS Passes U.S. Senate
U.S. SENATE – Today, the U.S. Senate passed Senator Daines’ bipartisan bill that helps support Montanans battling the devastating disease called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS. For a video statement from the Senator, click HERE. “ALS is a devastating disease, and Montanans who have been diagnosed with it should not have to wait five months to receive disability benefits. My bipartisan bill eliminates this waiting period, providing quicker access to benefits for those who suffer from this aggressive disease. I’m glad to see my bill pass the U.S. Senate, and I will continue fighting until it’s passed out of the House and signed into law to help support Montanans battling ALS,” Daines said. Currently,