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Routt County’s Doug Monger stars in ad opposing Trump’s health care plan

Scott Franz
Doug Monger drove to a ranch in Parker to star in an advertisement opposing President Trump's healthcare plan.

Routt County rancher and county commissioner Doug Monger likes to keep a low profile when he’s not making decisions at the historic county courthouse.

But he said Tuesday he felt too strongly about the future of healthcare to pass up chance to step in front of a camera and speak out about the issue.

“I’ll be the first to tell you Obamacare’s not perfect,” Monger says in the intro to the advertisement from Healthier Colorado, which is aimed at Republican Sen. Cory Gardner. “But Donald Trump’s healthcare plan will make things even worse.”



 



Coloradans who tuned into Meet the Press on Sunday saw the advertisement, which was filmed May 18 during a snowstorm on a ranch in Parker.

The ad is airing statewide.

In the ad, Monger is filmed completing various ranching tasks and warns that Trump’s healthcare proposal would ding seniors and decrease access to care in rural areas.

“The senate can make this right,” Monger says, before urging Coloradans to send messages to Gardner.

Monger, a Democrat, said Tuesday he called Gardner’s office to give him a heads up about the ad.

“I told him I’m not trying to take potshots at you guys, but you guys have a great opportunity in the senate to come up with a better plan and how we’re going to pay for it,” Monger said. “I would hope we’re putting out a positive message.”

Monger said the state of health insurance premiums has negatively impacted Routt County.

“It’s just absolutely crazy,” he said. “It’s killing us here at the county. The cost of healthcare and insurance for our employees keeps going up.”

Without any changes, the reserves in the county’s partially self-funded health insurance pool were projected to dry up this year.

In 2017, the county’s health insurance expenses are projected to increase $572,000, or 21 percent, compared to this year’s budget.

To avoid this, the county increased its contribution to health insurance pool and raised employee contributions significantly.

While Monger said he’s not a big fan of Obamacare, he added he has specific concerns about Trump’s plan, including the potential for rising premiums for seniors and the scaling back of coverage for people with preexisting conditions.

Gardner ran on a pledge to repeal The Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

House Republicans earlier this month narrowly passed a plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act.


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