By Clayton Murphy | UM Community News Service

HELENA — Montana lawmakers now have three bills to debate that would either extend or shut down Medicaid expansion after hearing hours of testimony Wednesday evening from healthcare providers, hospitals, nonprofit organizations and citizens who lined up out the door to advocate for the low-income health coverage program.

Testimony in front of the House Human Services Committee ranged from emotional personal stories to worries of financial impact from employers. No one spoke in opposition to either of the two bills in the House that would extend the program. 

Great Falls Republican Rep. Ed Buttrey’s House Bill 245 would permanently extend Montana’s Medicaid expansion, which first passed in 2015 and then was reauthorized by the 2019 Legislature. In 2024, Medicaid expansion offered health care to an estimated 80,000 low-income Montanans.

Joel Rosette is the CEO of the Rocky Boy Health Center. He said the HELP Act has allowed the center to add an urgent care department and expand optometry, dental, lab and preventative care resources.

“ This coverage helps people live healthier, happier lives, but also has ripple effects from the business side to the community side. Vibrant growth has happened in our area, and we’re very excited about that, and we hope to continue that,” Rosette said.

Another bill from Rep. Mary Caferro, D-Helena, would implement 12-month continuous Medicaid eligibility. Kim Winchell, the mayor of Cut Bank and the enrollment coordinator at Glacier Community Health Center said Caferro’s House Bill 230 will allow for steady coverage and eliminate administrative issues.

The bill would also reopen offices of public assistance across the state — one of which was closed in Cut Bank in 2018. Winchell said she saw the fallout from that closure firsthand.

“ A year ago, processing times went from about 30 to 60 days to upwards of 5 to 7 months. People are putting off medical procedures,” Winchell said. “People’s medical bills are being sent to collections before their applications can even be processed by Medicaid.”

The same day, a Senate committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 62, which would end Medicaid expansion. Sen. Carl Glimm, R-Kila, introduced the bill, arguing that the HELP Act provides too much support for unemployed Montanans who are able to work.

Clayton Murphy is a reporter with the UM Legislative News Service, a partnership of the University of Montana School of Journalism, the Montana Broadcasters Association, the Montana Newspaper Association and the Greater Montana Foundation. Murphy can be reached at clayton.murphy@umconnect.umt.edu.

Jenn Rowell

See Full Bio