“If we lose Medicaid expansion, I really fear [our hospital] won’t make it.”
When Big Horn Hospital CEO Kristi Gatrell talks about Medicaid expansion today, she describes a program that for the past 10 years has helped the hospital best serve its community by not only increasing health coverage for low-income residents, but providing a crucial lifeline for maintaining healthcare services in rural communities.
Thinking back to almost 40 years ago, Kristi says her personal story with Medicaid supports the data that shows it’s a temporary safety net that helps people get a leg-up in a time of need.
Kristi was covered by Medicaid for about four years during and after her first pregnancy. She was working or attending school while covered but relied on programs like Medicaid to help make ends meet.
“Without Medicaid, [my son] would not have had health insurance and I wouldn’t have either,” she said. “It certainly gave me a leg up to be able to go back to school.”
Kristi graduated from radiology technology school and worked in the Radiology department at Big Horn Hospital for over 20 years, including as director. She has been the Chief Executive Officer at Big Horn Hospital for close to 10 years.
Big Horn Hospital serves communities in three contiguous counties and two Indian Reservations spread out across hundreds of miles.
Medicaid expansion was enacted as part of the HELP Act passed by the Montana Legislature in 2015 to extend Medicaid coverage to low-income adults. Since it passed, Medicaid expansion has provided coverage for tribal members so they can seek services at Big Horn Hospital. It’s done things like support the expansion of MRI services and bolstered mammography services, too.
Despite many challenges facing rural healthcare facilities, Kristi can proudly say “we’ve saved a lot of lives here.”
Medicaid expansion will sunset unless it’s reauthorized by the 2025 Montana Legislature. The prospect of not continuing Medicaid expansion has Kristi asking tough questions about the health of the community and the viability of Big Horn Hospital.
“If we lose Medicaid expansion, I really fear we won’t make it. What does that look like for the folks here? … If [Medicaid expansion] were to go away, we’ll have worse health outcomes,” Kristi said. “What we do today matters for the future of everyone.”
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