Montana health officials say they will roll out new Medicaid work requirements by July, months ahead of the federal deadline. There’s been worry the state is moving too fast and that Montanans who still qualify will lose coverage.
The state is overhauling its entire Medicaid system to not only identify whether people are working, but also to determine if they are exempt.
The Montana Healthcare Foundation has released a list of actions it says the state can take to avoid that fate.
Montana Healthcare Foundation CEO Aaron Wernham says that’s complicated because the state needs to assess things like whether someone’s medical condition exempts them from working.
Wernham wants the state to connect its computer system to datasets like insurance claims to make that determination easier.
“Instead of expecting somebody who’s maybe in a residential treatment center for substance use to automatically get the memo and respond and prove that they’re sick,” he says.
The report also calls for the state to reopen assistance offices so more people can get help in person, to hire more staff for its helpline and to train organizations on the new forms so they can help patients maintain coverage.
The state health department has told lawmakers it’s hiring more staff to handle the increased workload. Officials say they are taking steps to improve how its computer system automatically approves or denies coverage.
