Medicaid Expansion

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services delivered some good news to over 90,000 Montanans recently about the state’s Medicaid expansion program.

Montana Republicans and Democrats compromised in the 2019 Legislature to pass Medicaid expansion with the caveats that there would be some work and community service requirements, however the federal government has not yet authorized the provision.

The embattled Medicaid Expansion bill cleared the Montana State senate by a narrow vote during Monday’s floor session.

The Medicaid Expansion bill passed through the Montana House of Representatives without amendments on Friday, a move that did not sit well with the Speaker of the House, Greg Hertz (R) Kalispell.

A new survey commissioned by the Montana Healthcare Foundation, almost half of the respondents reported an improvement in their general health since enrolling in Montana’s Medicaid expansion.

A new study prepared for the Headwaters Foundation and the Montana Healthcare Foundation states that Medicaid expansion has brought thousands jobs and millions of dollars of economic growth to the state.

Montana’s biennial legislative session gets underway on Monday, January 7, and Chair of the House Finance Committee Nancy Ballance provides a preview of the upcoming 90 day session.

Newly elected Speaker of the House, Republican Greg Hertz from Polson has been meetings for the past several days preparing for the upcoming 2019 legislative session.

There is already some drama at the Montana Legislature, and the gavel hasn’t even yet sounded

'Montana’s Senate Majority Leader Fred Thomas has sent a letter to Governor Steve Bullock asking him to help strengthen requirements in the Help and Economic Livelihood Partnership (HELP) Act