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Tag: Health Care

Daines, Tester Fight for First Responders

May 2, 2019

U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester reintroduced the bipartisan Putting First Responders First Act to clarify the current tax code to ensure injured first responders do not have to pay taxes on injury-related compensation.  Daines and Tester introduced the bill ahead of National Police Week. “Montana’s first responders risk their lives every day to protect our communities,” Daines said. “This legislation will ensure these brave men and women will no longer endure unfair taxes or audits from the IRS as a result of the sacrifices they have made for our safety.”  “Montana’s first responders put themselves in

Daines Introduces Bill to Increase Veterans’ Access to Outdoors

May 1, 2019

U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today introduced a bipartisan bill to expand opportunities for veterans recovering from trauma to access public lands for outdoor therapy and rehabilitation treatments. “In Big Sky Country, we know how important our outdoor heritage is to our Montana way of life,” Daines said. “This bill will help ensure our veterans are able to take full advantage of Montana’s and our nation’s outdoors as they recover from the trauma and injuries they experienced in combat. The therapeutic benefits the great outdoors can have on our veterans will help aide in their recovery and showcase the beauty of the

Daines Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Increase Transparency, Accountability in Drug Pricing

April 29, 2019

U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today introduced a bipartisan bill to shed light on the drug pricing process and the middlemen responsible for negotiating prescription drug costs.  “Montanans can’t afford to keep paying the outrageous costs of prescription drugs,”Daines said. “Transparency and accountability in drug pricing is long overdue. That’s why I’m introducing this bill to protect Montanans and ensure those responsible for negotiating drug prices are focused on driving costs down, not lining the pockets of their own industry.”  The bipartisan bill, the Prescription Pricing for the People Act of 2019, helps shed light on the pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) industry

Daines Continues Bipartisan Fight for Vietnam Veterans Harmed By Agent Orange

April 17, 2019

U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines renewed efforts to secure disability and health care benefits for Navy veterans, known as “Blue Water” veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange while fighting in the Vietnam War. “Commonsense tells us that sailors who were exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam deserve the same level of care as their counterparts ashore,” Daines said.  “Together with the court’s recent Procopio decision, this bill should settle any questions over Congress’ intent to care for all Vietnam veterans who were injured in the line of duty.” During the Vietnam War, the U.S. military sprayed approximately 20 million gallons of Agent

Daines, King Launch Bipartisan Bill to Protect Seniors

April 10, 2019

U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senators Steve Daines (Mont.) and Angus King (Maine) today renewed efforts to protect Medicare benefits by re-introducing the bipartisan Medicare Advantage Quality Payment Relief Act. The bill would reverse an unintended policy of the Affordable Care Act that is currently denying millions of seniors and people with disabilities the full measure of their Medicare Advantage benefits. “There are currently 16,000 Montanans being shortchanged the full scope of their Medicare benefits because of Obamacare,” Daines said. “My bipartisan legislation will ensure that seniors and people with disabilities receive the Medicare Advantage benefits they deserve.” “Medicare Advantage is a tried and true program that gives Maine seniors and people with disabilities high-quality, patient-centered

Daines Fights for Increased Transparency, Lower Prescription Drug Costs for Montanans

April 9, 2019

U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today in a U.S. Senate Finance Committee hearing grilled Pharmacy Benefit Manager executives (PBMs) on the need to increase transparency and lower prescription drug costs for Montanans. PBMs, which serve as the middle men between insurance companies and patients, are responsible for negotiating drug costs for patients. Daines slammed their current practices as failing Montanans. Click HERE to download Currently, there is a bill moving through the Montana legislature shedding light on PBMs pricing practices. Several of the PBM executives on the panel today oppose the bill. Daines pressed the executives, “Why are you fighting

Daines to HHS: Convicted Pedophile Should Not Receive One Cent of Taxpayer Money

March 28, 2019

U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today sent a letter to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), urging he stop Stanley Patrick Weber, a former Indian Health Service (IHS) pediatrician recently convicted for molesting children while working on the Blackfeet Reservation, from continuing to receive a government pension in prison. “If the Department of Health and Human Services cannot stop Mr. Weber’s pension payments, then we stand ready to provide any assistance necessary from Congress that will fix this flawed system,” the letter states. “A convicted pedophile should not receive one cent of taxpayer money while serving

Daines Continues Fight Against Montana Meth Crisis, Demands Answers for Abuse Scandal in IHS

March 14, 2019

  U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today in a U.S. Senate Finance Committee hearing pressed Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Alex Azar for solutions on combatting Montana’s growing meth epidemic. Daines also demanded answers on recent cases of abuse in the Indian Health Service (IHS). In the hearing, Daines discussed his recent trip to Rimrock Facility in Billings, where he saw firsthand Montana’s growing meth epidemic and the impact it has on Montana moms and families. Click HERE to download.  “In Montana, we’re facing a meth crisis, and it’s devastating our families and communities… How is HHS

Daines Pushes to Stop Nursing Home Abuse, Protect Seniors in Montana

March 6, 2019

U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today in a U.S. Senate Finance Committee hearing pressed the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to ensure that horrific cases of nursing home abuse in Montana, such as a recent case in Lewistown, will never happen again. Download video HERE “Last year, a state-run nursing home in Montana was cited for failing to protect patients from verbal, physical, and sexually abusive behaviors of fellow patients… according to reports, on 13 occasions, officials were not notified of incidents that included abuse in the facility’s wing which houses dementia patients,” Daines said. At the hearing, Daines

Daines, Tester Designate National Asbestos Awareness Week

March 4, 2019

U.S. SENATE  – U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester championed legislation to designate April 1-7, 2019 “National Asbestos Awareness Week” as part of their ongoing efforts to combat the dangers of asbestos exposure. The bipartisan resolution raises awareness about asbestos-caused diseases and urges the U.S. Surgeon General to teach Americans about the substance’s risks. “Asbestos caused diseases have tragically claimed the lives of far too many Montanans,” Daines said. “By shedding light on the dangers of asbestos exposure, we can work to protect the health of Montanans state wide and ensure that what happened in Libby and Troy never happen again.”