Aaron Bolton
Northwest Montana and Statewide Health Care ReporterAaron graduated from the University of Minnesota School of Journalism in 2015 after interning at Minnesota Public Radio. He landed his first reporting gig in Wrangell, Alaska where he enjoyed the remote Alaskan lifestyle and eventually moved back to the road system as the KBBI News Director in Homer, Alaska. He joined the MTPR team in 2019. Aaron now reports on all things in northwest Montana and statewide health care.
Have a northwest Montana or health care tip/story idea? Email me at aaron@mtpr.org or call/text at 612-799-1269
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The Montana State Hospital lost its federal certification in 2022 due to patient deaths. That decertification means the state can’t bill Medicaid or Medicare for patient services – a funding loss that has cost the state millions of dollars. State health officials plan to apply for federal recertification next year. -
The state health department plans to request federal approval to enact both Medicaid work requirements and co-payments for doctor visits in September. The department opened a 60-day public comment period. -
People on Medicare or Medicaid struggle to access mental and behavioral health services. That’s according to a new federal report. -
$21 million in opioid settlement money is flowing into Montana communities, and the Meth Project is getting some of that funding. But, drug prevention experts say the program isn’t backed by evidence. -
The U.S. Senate is expected to vote on the Big Beautiful Bill by July. The mega-bill aims to fund Trump’s tax cuts and other policies largely by cutting health care. -
Tribal and rural communities to receive mental and behavioral healthcare grants. -
The number of measles cases in Montana continues to rise. Twenty people have contracted the virus since April. Most cases have come from out-of-state travel, but measles may now be spreading in Gallatin County. -
Montana families with transgender children are quickly losing access to care. A Missoula hospital Wednesday announced it would stop offering gender-affirming care to minors. It is the latest hospital system to stop offering that service. -
The Montana Supreme Court Monday threw out three abortion-related laws passed in 2021. The justices ruled the laws violated the right to privacy outlined in the state Constitution. -
A new full-service cancer center opened in Lewistown this month. The nearly 17,000 square foot facility will offer radiation, chemo and other oncology services. It’s the only facility like it within 100 miles.
