It’s been a busy fall in Montana

September’s interim committee meetings brought a few pieces of key information about issues we are tracking in Montana. In the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) budget meeting, staff told legislators they were likely to need an additional forty to fifty staff in order to enact the requirements in H.R. 1 pertaining to Medicaid.

Other evidence points to the state being unprepared for the new requirements. Legislators heard how the state is taking longer than 45 days (the federal legal limit) to process nearly 3 out of 5 Medicaid applicants. This rate is more than 11 times the national average, and raises significant questions about Montana’s ability to handle work reporting requirements. 

While we have significant concerns about Medicaid, we are excited about an opportunity to work on Complete Streets in Missoula. We are connecting with city leaders to discuss updates to the previous Complete Streets policy to meet current guidelines, including prioritizing in-need neighborhoods. 

We also have been excited this month to see new signs popping up across the state reminding patrons that e-cigarette use is not allowed in workplaces. We have been gearing up for a 20th anniversary celebration of the Clean Indoor Air Act in Helena at the end of October.  We are “getting the band back together” to keep fighting against tobacco. RSVP here: American Heart Association Heart Powered | Montana Clean Indoor Air Act Celebration