Insurance providers see enrollment surge after 100,000 Montanans lose Medicaid coverage
John Hooks | Montana Public Radio
Montana began unwinding its Medicaid rolls in April after states were blocked from doing so during the pandemic.
As more people lost coverage throughout the year, new enrollments to the health insurance marketplace began to rise, culminating in a significant influx at the year-end open enrollment period. That’s according to Richard Miltenberger, CEO of Helena-based Mountain Health Co-Op.
"Many people felt it would be kind of like a light switch, you’d flick a button and you’d get all these people moving. It was more like turning on your iron: it got there, but it took time."
A spokesperson for Blue Cross Blue Shield said job losses and Medicaid redeterminations accounted for roughly half of inquiries for new coverage.
The most recent federal government data show close to 20,000 Montanans have selected coverage since open enrollment began in November. That’s a fraction of the more than 100,000 people who lost coverage so far as part of Montana’s Medicaid redetermination.
People with questions about getting health coverage through the marketplace can reach out to Cover Montana, a nonprofit that helps navigate enrollment.
Feds urge governor to take action as kids lose Medicaid coverage
Austin Amestoy | Montana Public Radio
The head of the federal agency that oversees Medicaid wrote to Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte this month with concerns over the number of children losing coverage in the state.
U.S. Health and Human Services secretary Xavier Becerra wrote that Montana’s enrollment rate for children on Medicaid fell 18% since March. He said Montana is among nine states with the highest rates of children losing coverage.
Becerra urged the governor to expand the state’s methods of assessing eligibility to ensure qualified families and children stay on the rolls.
Democratic Rep. Mary Caferro of Helena asked the head of Montana’s health department recently to temporarily pause the Medicaid redetermination process — one of the options Becerra encouraged the state to take.
“They can stop today, correct course, and they have plenty of time to do it, and make sure that what they’re doing is in the best interest of the health and well being of children,” Caferro said.
A spokesperson for Gov. Gianforte said in an email the governor is “committed to ensuring Montana children who are eligible for Medicaid coverage have it.” The office said it has confidence in the state health department’s process.
Montana health department spokesperson Jon Ebelt did not answer questions about whether the state will make the changes suggested by Secretary Becerra. The department’s head told lawmakers earlier this month he has no intention of pausing the renewal process to allow staff time to catch up on a backlog of cases.
