Jon Ebelt

Sixteen-thousand Montanans lost Medicaid coverage in July, according to new data from the state health department.

Health department officials are asking legislators to change criminal commitment laws amid a bottleneck at the Montana State Hospital.

Thousands are losing Medicaid coverage as the state redetermines Montanans’ eligibility. Federal officials say the state is trying to move through the process too fast, leading to procedural errors and confusion among enrollees.

The federal agency that oversees Medicaid said it’s concerned with Montana’s ability to provide customers help over the phone due to long wait times and a high rate of dropped calls.

Montanans seeking help over the phone with Medicaid enrollment are waiting on hold longer than residents of almost any other state. That’s according to July data from the federal agency that oversees the program.

A Yellowstone County judge has sanctioned the state of Montana and struck down its restrictions on birth certificate amendments for transgender residents.

More than 15,000 Montanans lost Medicaid coverage in April and that number will continue to grow as the state continues to reevaluate program eligibility.

State lawmakers this week voted to override vetoes of two bills aimed at improving care at the Montana State Hospital. A watchdog group says conditions at the hospital aren’t improving.

The Montana state health department said it’s opting out of a free pandemic-era program to provide nutrition assistance to kids this year, citing the administrative burden.

Gov. Greg Gianforte vetoed a bill that would send a watchdog group all reports of neglect, abuse, injuries and deaths at the Montana State Hospital.