HELENA — A tobacco-industry funded group has launched a massive ad blitz against a ballot initiative to fund Montana’s Medicaid expansion program by raising the tobacco tax.
Federal Communications Commission records show Montanans Against Tax Hikes booked air time through the Nov. 6 election on television stations across the state. For example, the group is spending some $680,000 to air more than 900 spots on KTVQ-TV in Billings, the state’s largest market.
The group’s message is the $2 per pack increase will fall about $34 million short of the state’s share of Medicaid expansion costs by 2023.
Health officials say the actual cost will be about a tenth of the group’s estimates, after factoring in the money saved by keeping some patients off traditional Medicaid.
Initiative sponsors also started a smaller ad campaign this month in support of the measure.
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