Tester to launch Healthcare Homefront e-mail series tonight

Profiles will feature real Montanans affected by ‘broken health care system’

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Senator Jon Tester today launched Healthcare Homefront—a series of brief e-mails profiling real Montanans affected by “America’s broken health care system.”

Each day this week, Tester plans to send his e-mail subscribers a new story about a Montanan who has recently written to Tester about the need for health care reform.  The profiles will explain how the health care reform legislation now being debated by the U.S. Senate will benefit Montanans in similar situations.

“Fixing our health care system isn’t about politics,” Tester said.  “It’s about ordinary Montanans who work hard and still get the short end of the stick when it comes to quality, affordable health care.  I want to share these stories so we can all better understand the need for health care reform.”

The U.S. Senate is currently debating and amending its version of the health care reform legislation, which is available for Montanans to read on Tester’s website, tester.senate.gov/health.

To subscribe to Tester’s e-mail list, click HERE.

The text of the first installment of Healthcare Homefront appears below.

NAME: Roxy Burley
HOME: Billings

Roxy, like many Montanans, owns a small business—a hair salon and spa—in Billings.

Roxy has Type I diabetes and she takes three different thyroid medications.  But because she can’t afford health insurance, she pays all of her health care expenses out of pocket. 

Roxy says she feels like she’s “walking a tight rope,” with her home and her small business on one side and her health on the other.

 “I am buying my own home and as a small business owner am concerned about losing them if I should end up in the hospital… It would be frightful to end up in the hospital.”

Roxy is single, and adds she can’t rely on anyone to take care of her health care.

She also works alongside several other self-employed stylists, and she notes many of them are in similar positions.

WHAT WILL HEALTH CARE REFORM DO?

The health care legislation we’re working on now would eliminate the need for people like Roxy to “walk a tightrope” because under our plan, everyone will be able to get affordable insurance.  If you like your current plan you can keep it.  If you don’t, you’ll be able to pick an affordable plan that’s best for you and your family (there will be tax credits and certain exemptions to ensure that insurance is affordable).  When everyone is insured, it will spread the risk, so people with insurance aren’t paying extra to cover people without insurance who go to the emergency room—and it will lower the overall cost of health care.

If you have any stories you’d like to share about the need for health care reform, or if you have any questions, comments or concerns, please call Senator Tester toll-free at (866) 554-4403.  You can also or drop me a note online.

Visit tester.senate.gov/health for information about health care reform, including the full text of the Senate bill.