Taking the Message to Big Sky Country

Two quick facts:

1. Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), is one of the most important members of the Senate, serving as Chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee (which has jurisdiction over most health care decisions), and a member of the “super committee,” which is charged with trimming at least $1.2 trillion from the federal budget.

2. There are no children’s hospitals in Montana.*

This creates a dilemma — because of his important place in Congress, it’s important that Sen. Baucus be made aware of the impact of cuts to programs such as Medicaid and the Children’s Hospitals Graduate Medical Education (CHGME) program. But with no children’s hospital in the state, it’s difficult to educate concerned parents and health care advocates in the state about the potentially detrimental cuts Congress proposing.

With that in mind, N.A.C.H.’s own Jim Kaufman, vice president of public policy, took to the airwaves on Nov. 2 as a guest on Voices of Montana, the state’s only statewide radio talk show. Jim talked about the state’s Medicaid program, Healthy Montana Kids, which covers about 1 in every 2 kids seen in the state. The program has been incredibly successful by focusing on ensuring kids stay healthy, rather than waiting until they’re very sick, as well as helping kids with chronic conditions find help outside the state.

Joining Jim on the one-hour long program was John Morrison, former state auditor and insurance commissioner for the state of Montana and one of the architects of the program. John reiterated “should Congress cut Medicaid funding, programs like Healthy Montana Kids are in danger.”

We applaud Jim for letting Montana citizens know how they can get involved and help save Medicaid and CHGME by telling them to visit our Speak Now For Kids website and write to their members of Congress.
“When you’re looking at the cost drivers in health care, kids are not it, and we need to protect these services,” said Jim. “If you can address and prevent a disease early on, it’s much cheaper in the long run.”

*Shodair Children’s Hospital in Helena is primarily a psychiatric hospital; most children in Montana with complex chronic conditions visit hospitals in Denver, Salt Lake City or Seattle.