ACHE pursues its objective using four approaches: a subscriber/member assistance system, a public awareness media campaign, lobbying activities, and if necessary, a citizens' initiative that will guarantee Montana patients that managed care companies will be more responsive to healthcare needs.

1) Consumer Assistance: ACHE maintains a hotline for patients who have grievances against managed care companies. ACHE's website collects data from Montanans who have been treated unfairly by their insurance carrier. ACHE provides assistance in filing complaints with the Insurance Commissioner's office. Since many Montanans have their healthcare coverage through their job, ACHE is ready to assist employer's benefits managers in selecting coverage that best serves their employees' healthcare needs.

2) Public Awareness Campaign: Managed Care Organizations have been telling the public that they are responsible for 'holding the line' on healthcare costs. That is only one side of the story. ACHE is designing a media campaign that will examine the whole story, and it will provide accurate and complete information to the public. Benefit managers, employers and most importantly, Montana workers deserve the truth. ACHE will employee print, video and audio media to let the public know the facts about managed care abuses in our state.

3) Lobbying: One insurer, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana (BCBSMT) virtually dominates health insurance in this state. Because Montanans are few in numbers, it is difficult for other health insurance providers to compete here. That means more influence to one company, BCBSMT. Interestingly, BCBSMT enjoys a benefit that other insurers do not. They pay no state tax. With this advantage, they can underprice their competition, and have accumulated huge reserves that they have used to stifle competitors. By limiting their competition, BCBSMT can control both patients and their physicians. ACHE will work to ensure that all Montanans get a fair shake, patients, physicians, and taxpayers. ACHE will work in the 2001 Legislative Session to make sure that the huge accumulations of reserves by BCBSMT is returned to Montanans in the form of premium reductions, rather than being used to choke off Montanans choice of health care plan by stifling the competition.

4) Initiative: Montanans have heard the horror stories of managed care companies that are not held to the same high standards of care that physicians must meet and that our patients deserve. Before managed care moves any further, limiting patient choice of physicians and treatments, and having healthcare decisions made by non-medical insurance bureaucrats, Montanans will be given the choice at the ballot box in the 2000 election about how we want managed care organizations to conduct themselves in our state. ACHE will sponsor an initiative that will hold managed care companies liable if they put their bottom line profits ahead of quality healthcare for Montana families.

Select a Page... ACHE's Homepage E-Mail Us Tell us about your experience with an HMO Questions you should ask your HMO How ACHE works Take our survey Facts about Blue Cross Blue Shield you should know Links to other important web sites How to contact the Insurance Commissioner's Office How you can help ACHE in the news Comments and questions about the web site A message from ACHE's Executive Director Upcoming events 2001 Legislative Session