Despite ongoing concerns regarding potential plans by Congress and the Trump administration to alter Medicaid, Montana’s Republican-led legislature appears committed to maintaining its expanded Medicaid program beyond its scheduled end date this summer.
The state lawmakers must make a decision before the legislative session concludes in early May about whether to extend past June 30, when the expansion currently stands set to sunset. This would affect around 76,000 adults who are covered by the program.
With significant changes anticipated for Medicaid on the federal level due to budget considerations and other reforms being proposed, discussions have begun within state legislatures about how they can prepare for these potential upcoming modifications. State Representative Jane Gillette of Montana’s Republican Party highlighted this during a recent meeting of her subcommittee which handles the Medicaid budget.
“What are our options for preparing ourselves?” Gillette questioned during the session.
In Washington, D.C., efforts are ongoing to shape federal healthcare policy under President Donald Trump’s administration. The House Budget Committee has proposed cutting $880 billion over ten years from the committee overseeing Medicaid spending, as part of a broader budget bill that also includes an extension for tax cuts set to expire.
Proposals on the table include introducing work requirements for some Medicaid beneficiaries and reducing federal contributions towards healthcare costs for those under the expansion program. These changes could significantly impact state budgets which already cover significant portions of such expenses.
“These are not easy solutions or options,” said Robin Rudowitz, a vice president at KFF Health News who specializes in Medicaid issues.
Other states like South Dakota and Idaho are actively considering their response to potential federal changes. Montana’s Republican-led House easily passed legislation on February 10th to make the expansion program permanent by an overwhelming majority of votes (63-37). Subsequently, it advanced through another vote in the Senate.
State Governor Greg Gianforte has not definitively stated whether he will sign this bill but previously expressed support for continuation under stringent work requirements. In addition to these legislative efforts, Senator Jeremy Trebas pushed for a tighter set of work conditions in current law and proposed that if federal approval were denied, the program could eventually end.
However, various factions within Montana’s Republican Party remain divided on this issue. Some believe it’s prudent to provide multiple options for “course correction” should further legislative involvement be required due to unexpected changes from Washington D.C., while others stress maintaining a firm stance against federal intervention until such decisions are necessary.
This article was originally published by KHN, a national newsroom that specializes in health-related journalism and is an initiative of the non-profit organization KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation) dedicated to healthcare policy research, polling, and investigative reporting.
