- [Announcer] Montana PBS Equal Time, offering unedited time to candidates for state auditor.

Over 100,000 Montanans lost their healthcare coverage due to Medicaid cuts in 2023.

As state auditor, how would you approach affordable healthcare options for all state residents?

- It's closer to 130,000, so more than 1 in 10 Montanans lost their health insurance coverage.

Medicaid was the only viable option for most, and losing it puts families in a very tough situation and it places a huge strain on our healthcare providers and therefore impacts all Montanans.

Clearly, step one to is to get as many families re-enrolled in Medicaid as possible.

It just makes sense as the vast majority of the cost is covered by the federal government.

I will use the resources of the auditor's office to assist in re-enrollment.

For those who don't qualify, we must find ways to provide quality insurance at affordable rates.

That will take a lot of work to make that happen, but I do not want to see anyone, especially children, without access to the medical care they need.

- It is important to keep in mind for your listeners that the state auditor, while regulating insurance companies and providers, does not make decisions as to who gets government insurance coverage.

That is the prerogative of the legislature and the executive branch.

However, there are steps that can be taken by the auditor's office to ensure that there is adequate competition in the insurance marketplace, such that those who need insurance can find it.

There are also public outreach and education efforts that can be undertaken by the auditor's office to inform people about alternative health insurence options that are affordable.

This includes, for example, making sure that folks are aware of the state's Health Insurance Exchange program, which is a plan that tailors health insurance options to low income individuals.

This is the type of market option that could backfill coverage for those who have been dis-enrolled from Medicaid.

- [Announcer] Montana PBS Equal Time was made possible by the Greater Montana Foundation.

All equal time segments are available online at Montanapbs.org/equaltime.

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