Rehberg vows to continue fight against Obamacare

Tester, Baucus support U.S. Supreme Court ruling

Montana’s congressional delegation was quick to react to the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that upheld key provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act last week.

Sen. Max Baucus, who helped craft the legislation, was pleased with the ruling.

“Thousands of Montana families, grandparents, young adults and kids can breathe a little easier today knowing they get to keep the cost savings and protections they have because of the health care law,” Baucus said. “Our veterans and workers are now assured they’ll be able to see a doctor when they need to. Today is a victory for the people of Montana.”

The Supreme Court’s ruling upholds the requirement that individuals have health insurance or face a possible penalty in 2014. But proponents note that as the law goes into effect, there will be government subsidies available designed to make health care affordable.

Sen. Jon Tester also supported the bill.

“After my daughter was born, our family had to give up health insurance because we couldn’t afford it — a situation too many other Montana families have faced,” Tester said. “I’m pleased the Supreme Court has validated Congress’ work to ensure access to health care for all Montanans.”

But the law can still be improved, Tester added.

Rep. Denny Rehberg, who has long opposed the law and has voted to repeal it, said he would continue to do so.

“We need a check and balance. This fight is a long way from over because the Constitution gives final authority to ‘we the people’ on election day,” Rehberg said. “Despite this ruling made possible with the help of two freshly confirmed Obama appointees, this law has got to go. We can’t afford its $2.5 trillion price tag, our economy can’t sustain its $1.25 trillion tax increase, and our health care system can’t survive its top-down government meddling or massive cuts to Medicare.”

The court ruling was 5-4, with Chief Justice John Roberts casting the decisive and historic vote. What will this mean for local hospitals?

Jim Oliverson, vice president of Kalispell Regional Medical Center, said the hospital was still consulting with legal counsel on its ultimate impact, but his initial and personal reaction was that everyone in the U.S. should have health care.

Having said that, there also needs to be patient accountability in the system, he added, noting that 30 percent of patients consume 70 percent of today’s health care dollars. There needs be an effort in the U.S. supporting more healthy living, he said.

From a financial standpoint, the law could be beneficial to the hospital, as it writes down about $1 million in bad debt a month because of uninsured or underinsured patients who can’t pay their bills.