Montana Campaign for the human right to health care

Local initiatives

Montana County moves toward universal healthcare based on human rights
In December 2008, the Health Board of Lewis & Clark County adopted a resolution that recognizes the human right to health and health care. This resolution also set up a task force to recommend how to best implement universal health care in Lewis & Clark County. Read the resolution here >>>  The task force is led by Beth Sirr, a nurse featured on our speaking out page. The task force's role is to carry out a community health needs assessment and develop an action plan for moving toward a universal, equitable system. The Task Force is expected to produce a final report of its recommendations in 2010.  The Human Right to Health Program, together with the Montana Human Rights Network, is actively supporting this effort.

The Helena Independent Record (12/12/08) quoted key stakeholders:
“The board’s effort appears to be the only one of its type in the state, and possibly the region, said Alan Peura, a Helena city commissioner and board member who helped spearhead the project. “Starting with health care as a human right, we thought maybe we can get to places that we never got to before,” he said Thursday. “We said, ‘Let’s see what we can do to change the debate, and maybe end up with some solutions that we don’t even know exist at this point.’ ”  […] State Sen. Christine Kaufmann, D-Helena, the executive director of the Montana Human Rights Network, also said it could become a pilot project with federal funding, to offer universal health care in a rural county. “Our goal is that everyone in Lewis and Clark County has access to health care,” she said.
Read the newspaper coverage here >>> and here >>>

NESRI Podcast and Photo Gallery from Lewis & Clark County
In August and October 2009, NESRI’s Human Right to Health Director, Anja Rudiger, visited the Montana Human Rights Network. Together, the Network and NESRI supported th Universal Health Care Task Force to carry out a community health needs assessment in Lewis and Clark County. To listen to a NESRI podcast interview with Alan Peura, the Helena City Commissioner who was instrumental in drafting the county’s right to health care resolution >>>  To view a photo gallery from the visit >>>

Through a community lens: talking with residents across Lewis & Clark County
Focus group discussions with community members formed a key element of the health needs assessment. Members of the task force, together with the Montana Human Rights Network and NESRI, facilitated ten discussions with community members in Helena, Augusta, Lincoln and Canyon Creek. View a presentation of the process and key findings as a powerpoint >>> as a pdf >>>

State Legislative Initiatives

Right to Health Care Bill Introduced in Montana Senate
On February 16 the Montana State Senate held a hearing on establishing the right to health care in the state. The constitutional amendment was introduced by Senator Christine Kaufmann.  To see the bill >>> To listen to the hearing (the right to health care hearing starts at 0:20:55 seconds and ends at 1:09:40 seconds) >>>

Bill to Require Health Insurers to Prioritize Care introduced in Montana House
The Montana Human Rights Network has worked with Representative Shannon Augare on a bill that would allow the Insurance Commissioner for the first time to review and regulate the health insurance industry in Montana. The bill requires health insurers to spend a minimum percentage of the premiums they collect on actual health care, rather than on surpluses, salaries and administration. Read the bill here >>> While the initial bill did not meet the legislature’s tight timeframe, Representative Augare and the Network are now drafting a Joint Resolution for the legislature to recognize the importance of this issue and turn it into a study bill to be considered by the interim committee that meets between legislative sessions.

Human Right to Health Care Videos and Podcasts

Watch Montanans tell their health care stories and demand their human right to health care >>>

In August, NESRI’s Human Right to Health Director, Anja Rudiger, interviewed Christine Kaufmann, Montana State Senator and long-time Director of the Montana Human Rights Network, about her experience of developing Montana’s increasingly influential human right to health care campaign. In the interview Senator Kaufmann also argues that local and state-based activists need not wait for federal action on health care reform, reflects on her dual role as politician and advocate, and explains why politicians can be much more progressive if pushed by concerted pressure from the grassroots. Listen to the podcast >>>

Press coverage in Montana

In a July 2, 2009, Helena IR OpEd entitled “Immigrants Wouldn’t Be Burden on Health Plan” Shahid Haque-Hausrath, the managing attorney of the Border Crossing Law Firm in Helena, writes “The vast majority of Montanans believe that access to affordable health care is a fundamental human right, and have voiced their overwhelming support for health care reform that will ensure that no one is forced to forgo necessary medical treatment for themselves or their loved ones.”  Read the article >>>

Press coverage of recent rallies held across Montana at U.S. Senator Baucus' (D-MT) state-wide offices. Human right to health activists urged Baucus to include single-payer health care in the Federal debate on health care reform.

• "Voices for Reform: Demonstration at Baucus' Missoula Office Just One` of Many Across State," Missoulian, June 6, 2009 >>>
• "Protesters want Baucus to consider single-payer system," Great Falls Tribune, June 6, 2009 >>>

Press coverage of Baucus' late May 2009 “listening session” tour across Montana reveals the Senator is way out of touch with his constituents -

• "Baucus Battered By Voters For Health Care Standm" Huffington Post, June 1, 2009 >>>
• "Single-payer Advocates Not Giving Up the Fight", Great Falls Tribune, May 29, 2009 >>>
• "Single-payer Health Care: Baucus Keeps Getting an Earful," Missoulian, May 29, 2009 >>>
• "Public Gives Own Prescription for Health Care Overhaul," Bozeman Daily Chronicle, May 28, 2009 >>>
• "Single-payer Idea DominatesHealth Care Listening Sessions," Helena IR, May 28, 2009 >>>
• "Majority WantsSsingle-payer Health Care," Helena IR, May 27, 2009 >>>

In a May 15, 2009, OpEd entitled "Health-care Status Quo Pushing Out Single-Payer Advocates in Nation's Capital," which appeared in the Seattle Sun Times, Amy Goodman, of Democracy Now, referred to Montana State Senator Christine Kaufmann, of the Montana Human Rights Network, and her sponsorship of an amendment to the Montana Constitution that would grant everyone in Montana "the right to quality health care regardless of ability to pay" >>>

On April 22, 2009, Montana State Senator Christine Kaufmann, of NESRI partner the Montana Human Rights Network, was featured on Democracy Now. The Network has been leading a statewide campaign to achieve health care reform from a human rights perspective. The campaign includes a legislative agenda and local initiatives. Kaufmann recently introduced a constitutional amendment in the State Senate to establish the right to health care in the state. Watch the interview >>>

In October 2008 Kim Abbott, of the Montana Human Rights Network, wrote on the human right to health care in an op-ed appearing in the Missoulian, MT >>>

In February 2008 NESRI Health Program Director Anja Rudiger was interviewed in Montana about access to health care as a human right >>>