U.S. health care system is broken

It’s clear that Sen. Jon Tester is a desperate man doing desperate things, including spreading outright lies, fearmongering and misleading Montanans —particularly on health care.

Here’s the hard truth: our health care system is broken. On Jon Tester’s watch, costs are going up, and access is going down. Because of Obamacare, Montanans face higher premiums year after year. We’ve lost access to doctors and health care plans we were told we could keep. More government control has only made things worse. 

We must make health care more transparent, more accessible and less expensive for all Montanans. We must support our rural hospitals and improve access to care in these communities, expand telehealth services, reward outcomes and innovation, and promote greater transparency, competition and shopping for services. 

As senator, I will protect rural hospitals and increase Montanans' access to affordable, high-quality health care. And I will always protect Montanans with pre-existing conditions and make sure the politicians back in Washington don't touch Medicare. Our nation made a promise to our seniors to protect their Medicare and Social Security benefits, and I will honor that promise and preserve the benefits they’ve earned. 

My wife, Carmen, and I have lived the American dream and given back to our neighbors and community, because that’s at the core of our mission. We proudly supported pediatric health care, neonatal intensive care, and trauma care for Montana families. We were honored to help bring the upgraded neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) to southwest Montana and establish Montana’s first Level I Trauma Center. 

As a veteran, I will also fight to fix the broken VA system, get veterans the timely, quality care they need where they need it and fulfill the promise our nation made to them. 

Jon Tester, a top recipient of Big Pharma cash, has talked for 18 years about “fighting for you” while things only get worse. Tester is the only candidate in this race who supported slashing Social Security benefits, cutting Medicare up to $716 billion and raiding Social Security and Medicare accounts to pay for reckless spending and the Biden-Harris-Tester illegal immigrant invasion. 

Tester spreads fear and lies about my record rather than talk about his failed record. That should tell Montanans everything we need to know. 

It’s time to reinvigorate local health care, invest in rural clinics, protect care for seniors and veterans, and most importantly, focus on increasing access, lowering costs, and ensuring Montanans have access to good, reliable health care. That’s my promise to you.

Tim Sheehy is the Republican candidate for Montana's U.S. Senate seat. He lives in Bozeman.