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Strengthening Medicaid: Upcoming Bills and Their Impact on Montana’s Health Care

This legislative session, health policy has primarily focused on the portion of Medicaid that covers nearly 80,000 Montanan adults. And for good reason. Without legislative action this session, the program known as “Medicaid expansion” will end, putting thousands of Montanans at risk of becoming uninsured.

On February 17th, the Senate Public Health, Welfare, and Safety Committee heard testimonies from Medicaid recipients, providers and advocates in support of HB 245, “Revise the Montana HELP Act workforce development provisions and termination date.”  This bill aims to remove the end date of Montana’s Medicaid expansion program, ensuring continued access to affordable health care for Montanans.

However, HB 245 is not the only health care access bill under consideration this session. Currently, one in five Montanans depend on Medicaid for their health care needs, including children, people with disabilities, the elderly, and tens of thousands of working individuals who lack other affordable health insurance options. While Medicaid has significantly improved the lives of many Montanans, there are still opportunities to strengthen the program.

Below, we take a look at four other bills and the impact they could have on health care in Montana:

SB 72 – Provide presumptive eligibility for Medicaid coverage of home and community based services

  • “Presumptive eligibility” allows for elderly adults and those with disabilities to begin receiving home and community-based services immediately while waiting for their Medicaid application to be finalized. This provision allows for easier enrollment in Medicaid, quicker access to care, and helps keep people at home and out of nursing facilities.

HB 386 – Revising laws related to Medicaid continuous eligibility

  • “Continuous eligibility” allows Medicaid enrollees to stay enrolled for a given period, such as 12 months, even if their income fluctuates during that period. HB 386 allows for continuous eligibility for parent, caretaker relative, and the Medicaid expansion population. By allowing people to enroll in Medicaid for a year (much like people do with private insurance plans), people can have reliable access to insurance even if their income fluctuates. This provision is essential for people who work seasonally or in temporary jobs and reduces administrative burden for the state.

Continuous eligibility also has important health benefits. Without it, people can churn on and off insurance, causing breaks in medical treatment. For example, a patient may lose access to their blood pressure medication and end up in the emergency room instead of maintaining access to preventative care. This bill would help guarantee better and more consistent access to coverage.

HB 185 – Provide for continuous Healthy Montana Kids plan eligibility for children under 6

  • This bill likewise provides a continuous eligibility period of three years for children on Healthy Montana Kids up until they are age six. While children currently have one year of eligibility, a longer period grants more stability to families during the critical early years of children’s lives. Like HB 386, this bill helps reduce churn and improves access to care.

HB 510 – Generally revise Medicaid services

  • Over the past few years, Montanans have encountered numerous difficulties during the Medicaid application process. In June, the American Heart Association joined 65 other organizations around Montana calling on the Governor’s office to improve access to public benefits. This bill addresses some of these challenges, by improving the help line phone system and reopening offices of public assistance. The changes in this bill can help ensure Montanans get the help they need when they need it.

With so many opportunities to improve health care access for Montanans, we need you to share your voice today. Consider joining us at the Capitol on Monday February 24th, from 11 am to 1 pm to share your story with legislators and ask them to vote to strengthen our health care system. Register now! RSVP TODAY: Join us at the Montana Capitol on February 24th!