Montana records largest drop in childhood Medicaid coverage from pre-pandemic figures, study shows
A new report shows that Montana had one of the largest drops in childhood Medicaid enrollment from April to December 2023, when the state was re-evaluating Medicaid eligibility for the first time since the onset of the pandemic. Researchers say the state’s end-of-year childhood enrollment was also 15% lower than pre-pandemic levels — the biggest…
Latest health Reporting
State Medicaid director resigns from health department
Mike Randol will leave the role of state Medicaid director almost two years after accepting the position under the prior head of Gov. Greg Gianforte’s Department of Public Health and Human Services, Adam Meier. Department spokesperson Jon Ebelt said Randol’s resignation was accepted April 23. His last day is on May 10.
Unsheltered people are losing Medicaid in redetermination mix-ups
Tashya Evans is one of about 130,000 Montanans who have lost Medicaid coverage as the state reevaluates eligibility following a pause in disenrollments during the COVID-19 pandemic. About two-thirds of those who were kicked off state Medicaid rolls lost coverage for technical reasons, such as incorrectly filling out paperwork. That’s one of the highest procedural…
Republicans vote to oppose constitutional abortion rights measure
Republican lawmakers convened a hearing to discuss the constitutional abortion rights initiative that could appear on the November ballot, despite an April court order finding that the Legislature’s consideration would have no bearing on CI-128’s signature-gathering campaign.
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Five takeaways from our reporting on Montana State Hospital
Medical practitioners and other staff at the psychiatric hospital in Warm Springs are raising alarms about new leadership and policy changes at the public facility. The administration of Gov. Greg Gianforte has called the current reforms part of a “significant cultural, clinical, and operational transformation.” Here are five takeaways from our reporting.
The path to a better tuberculosis vaccine runs through Montana
How University of Montana researchers are helping develop a more effective vaccine against an infectious disease that has killed more people than any other.
State psychiatric hospital employees raise alarm over rampant turnover and ‘crisis’ of leadership
Medical providers and other staff are leaving Montana State Hospital in waves, citing bad management, fear of reprisal and burnout as the Gianforte administration pushes for federal recertification.
Doctors take on dental duties
Because of Montana’s large geographic area and small population, recruiting dental professionals is difficult. Fifty of the state’s 56 counties are designated dental shortage areas, and some counties don’t have a single dentist who takes Medicaid. Pediatric dental specialists, in particular, are scarce in rural areas, with families sometimes driving hours to neighboring counties for…
Constitutional abortion rights amendment cleared for signature gathering
After a week of legal scuffling, the campaign behind a constitutional amendment that would explicitly protect abortion rights in Montana can begin collecting the tens of thousands of signatures it needs to put the proposal on the ballot this November.
Montana group launches coverage campaign after Medicaid unwinding
Representatives from Missoula community organizations have begun coordinating solutions to a collective problem: How to help thousands of people removed from state Medicaid programs over the last year regain health care coverage as quickly as possible. “From our perspective, there’s a lot of work to be done to make sure that those 125,000 folks don’t…
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MORE HEALTH REPORTING
Montana Supreme Court rewrites abortion ballot language; signature gathering moves closer
The Montana Supreme Court released its revised ballot language to describe a constitutional abortion rights amendment that voters may consider this fall, rejecting a version drafted last week by Attorney General Austin Knudsen.
Why some Medicaid providers are borrowing — or going into debt — to cover ‘unwinding’ payment disruptions
Providers who take Medicaid have say their state payments have been disrupted, leaving them financially struggling amid the unwinding. They’re providing care without pay, and sometimes going into debt. It’s affecting small long-term care facilities, substance use disorder clinics, and federally funded health centers that rely on Medicaid to offer treatment based on need, not…
Montana Supreme Court allows abortion ballot proposal to proceed
After two months of litigation and consideration, the Montana Supreme Court has overruled the state attorney general’s January finding that a constitutional initiative to secure abortion rights is “legally insufficient,” resolving one dispute while setting up additional hurdles before the question can be put to voters on the November ballot.
Slow Supreme Court ruling could make timeline for abortion ballot initiative ‘virtually impossible’
After a month of litigation, backers of an initiative to codify abortion access in state law say they’re running out of time to clear procedural hurdles, including collecting upwards of 60,000 signatures across dozens of House districts.
Health department shares Medicaid disenrollment numbers for children, seniors, Native Americans
As Montana’s multi-month review of Medicaid eligibility comes to a close, the state health department is disclosing more details about how many children, older adults and Native Americans have lost health coverage over the last year, and how the redetermination process has impacted specific counties.
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