Montana Officials Not Worried by Fed ‘Concerns’ With MT Medicaid Expansion Bill

The U.S. Health and Human Services Department has expressed concerns over Montana’s Medicaid expansion bill, which was signed into law last week. Governor Steve Bullock’s spokesman Dave Parker says the governor’s office is not worried that these concerns will kill the plan.

"This is not unexpected at all," said Parker. "Every state that has applied for a waiver of some sort has had to negotiate with the Federal Government and explain exactly what they were trying to do, as we are now."

Parker was asked if pressure from the federal government might require changes in the way Montana’s Medical expansion bill is written, here is his response.

"I don't think so," Parker said. "It's probably too early to tell that, but our guess is 'no', that we probably won't have to change anything. In granting these waivers, the federal government does their due diligence and studies these issues hard and we have been talking to them about what we're trying to do and why this makes sense. We have every expectation that in the end the waiver will be granted."

One of the changes in Montana’s bill that has received extra attention is the requirement for those who receive coverage to pay a portion of Health care premiums equivalent to two percent of their income, even if they happen to be below the poverty line.