Montana Cancer Votes

Cancer Votes is the nation’s leading election program educating the public and candidates about the actions lawmakers should take to make fighting cancer a national priority. As part of our 2024 Cancer Votes initiative, we asked both U.S. Senate candidates to respond to these important questions.

The candidates' responses were aired on Voices of Montana, October 9-11, 2024. Listen to the full podcast here.

Question 1: Increasing federal funding for medical research and prevention is critical toward promoting further discovery and saving lives. Will you vote for sustainable annual increases in cancer research funding for the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute and for cancer prevention programs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention?

Question 2: People in rural areas – like those in Montana – are often diagnosed with cancer at later stages, when cancer can be more costly to treat and when they can have worse survivorship outcomes. They face unique challenges to cancer care, including workforce shortages, long travel distances, lack of access to specialists, fewer insurance options and higher premiums, and less clinical trial access. If elected, how will you address the challenges of rural cancer care?

Question 3: Medical debt is prevalent in Montana. In a recent ACS CAN poll, 61% of Montana voters report they or an immediate family member have experienced medical debt. People with cancer and their families can sometimes be left with crippling medical debt after their treatment. Burdensome medical debt may affect a person’s mental health and quality of life. Having medical debt may make people with cancer more likely to delay or skip future care for fear of costs and adding to their debt. What measures would you support to prevent medical debt from impeding access to care and impacting health outcomes?

Question 4: The Indian Health Service plays a critical role in health care service for Indian Country, by providing health care services for approximately 2.56 million American Indians. However, the Indian Health Service hasn’t received the funding to match its importance despite nominal yearly increases. How would you balance the need for tribal sovereignty and address the health funding disparities that exist in the Indian Health Service to ensure access to quality health care for American Indians in Montana?