The U.S. Department of Health and Human services is canceling over $11 billion worth of COVID-era grants. In a widely reported statement, federal health officials said the grant funding that had gone to states was no longer needed because the COVID pandemic was over. That funding was earmarked for addiction, mental health and other programs.
State health department spokesperson Jon Ebelt said in a statement to MTPR “We are in the process of analyzing various notices and communications from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to ascertain their impact on DPHHS.”
The Yellowstone County Public Health Department says it lost $180,000 in grant funding for community health workers. Spokesperson Casey Page says the funding cut wasn’t just for COVID response.
“But also help us prepare for the next threat to public health,” Page says.
The only publicly available information about the cuts in Montana are on the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, website. It says 10 grants to the Montana State Health Department were cut.
The DOGE website claims those cuts saved taxpayers over $34 million, but DOGE has reportedly inflated its savings numbers and its figures have been error-prone. State health department spokesperson Ebelt wouldn’t confirm DOGE’s figure.
