Shutdown compounds health care, economic woes in rural MT

A new national report is sounding the alarm about the future of rural America, pointing to rising health care costs and a fragile economy.

In Montana, the ongoing federal shutdown is magnifying the problems.

Trent Bolger, executive director of Big Sky 55+, an advocacy group for Montanans age 55 and older, described the situation as dire, with health insurance rates set to skyrocket for those not yet eligible for Medicare.

"Montana has three small-group health care providers and two of them have announced next year those insurance rates are going to rise by over 25%," Bolger reported. "Doing something about these ACA subsidies would really help people in Montana."

The report called for reining in corporate power and supporting local businesses. Bolger connected it to Montana's history, noting the state was the first to ban corporate election spending over a century ago.

Beyond health care, the report's blueprint included investing in rural clean energy and doing more to strengthen democracy. Advocates like Bolger said the policies are crucial for allowing people the economic freedom to live and work in rural areas.

"Rural areas are an economic engine for America," Bolger stressed. "We grow the nation's food. We are also a place where the nation goes to recreate. And if they can't have access to things like health care, it's going to get harder for them to be able to live here and do that."

The report comes as Congress remains deadlocked over government funding, with health care subsidies at the center of budget negotiations. Montana is among the states where more than half the Medicaid enrollees live in rural communities, and the American Hospital Association said federal cuts to Medicaid and Medicare will make it harder for rural hospitals to survive.