More than 1 in 5 Montanans rely on Medicaid for their healthcare coverage, meaning that it provides health coverage to 22% of all Montanans including:
Montana Medicaid is good for our state and 85% of Montanans support keeping the program as it is today. Unfortunately, proposed cuts and policy changes would mean Montanans would lose coverage and healthcare in Montana would suffer. This program is too important for the people of Montana, which is why it’s so important to understand the facts about Medicaid in Montana.
Medicaid incentivizes people not to work or look for a job.
The Montana Department of Labor and Industry reports that more than three-quarters (76%) of Montana’s adult Medicaid enrollees are employed or attending school. The majority of the rest of Medicaid recipients are either caretakers or have a disability or other condition that prevents them from working.
In order to qualify for extended coverage under the current Montana Medicaid program, individuals and families must have an income between 25% and 138% of the federal poverty level. This means those receiving Medicaid coverage must be earning money—and contributing to the state’s economy.
Expanded coverage under Medicaid is not supported by Montanans.
This is completely false. Montanans overwhelmingly support continued expanded coverage under the current Montana Medicaid program.
A recent poll conducted by the Montana Chamber of Commerce shows 85% support keeping the Montana Medicaid program as it is today. It’s also important to note that legislation to maintain Medicaid expansion was passed by the 2025 Montana Legislature with broad bipartisan support and signed into law by Gov. Greg Gianforte. The data is extremely clear: Montanans want people to have access to health coverage and any effort to take it away would defy voters’ wishes.
”“There’s a lot of people who are working and they still need Medicaid. You’d be surprised at how many are in a similar situation I was in. They just need help to get back on their own two feet.”
Charlotte JeffersonFormer Montana Medicaid Participant
People are abusing the system to get free care paid for by taxpayers.
Medicaid provides health coverage for people when they need it most — during times of job transition and financial difficulty. Among those who have coverage through the adult expansion program, the average length of enrollment is less than 24 months. This indicates that people are working to pull themselves out of poverty and create a better situation for themselves and their families.
The current Montana Medicaid program helps people whose incomes are not low enough to qualify under traditional Medicaid coverage rules and are too high to qualify for subsidized coverage on the exchange. This program is not giving handouts to people who refuse to work — it is a vital lifeline for the working poor who are doing all they can to get by but happen to fall into the coverage gap through no fault of their own. These people are mothers, fathers and caregivers — members of our communities. Providing health coverage doesn’t pay their bills; it protects them from financial calamity. When they’re sick, it helps them get back to work and return to normal life faster.
The Montana Medicaid program is bad for Montana’s economy.
The current Montana Medicaid program supports job growth, personal spending and economic growth throughout the state. In 2022, Montana Medicaid’s extended coverage helped create:
”“Montana Medicaid has had a remarkably positive impact on our state’s businesses and economy. From adding jobs and improving the health of our workforce, to reducing healthcare costs for employers and saving Montana taxpayers money, the current program has ripple effects that benefit all Montanans.”
Todd O’HairPresident & CEO, Montana Chamber of Commerce
Medicaid isn’t making any real difference for Montana hospitals.
Since the current Medicaid rules were put in place in 2015, no rural hospitals in Montana have closed. Uncompensated care at Montana hospitals has been reduced by $225 million per year.
In a survey of 27 Montana critical access hospitals, 25 (93%) reported adding and/or expanding new specialty services since 2016, including behavioral health services. This benefits everyone in Montana’s rural communities, not just those enrolled in Medicaid.
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