Montana House delays action on Medicaid expansion bill

HELENA – The House delayed action Wednesday on the Medicaid expansion bill as paperwork was being reviewed for some of the amendments made to the proposal by the state Senate to provide health care to nearly 96,000 Montanans.

Rep. Ed Buttrey, R-Great Falls, said he had not signed the “concur, do not concur” paperwork regarding the Senate amendments to House Bill 658 and decided it would be better to wait to bring the bill to the floor.

“I do not want to leave anything to chance,” he said.

Also, the House delayed action on House Bill 2, the state’s $10.3 billion spending plan for the next two years. House Appropriations Co-Chair Rep. Nancy Ballance, R-Hamilton, said there were too many “loose ends” in the bill to proceed.

Read more: https://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/news/2019/04/17/montana-house-oks-changes-medicaid-expansion-bill/3498873002/

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Montana Senate passes bill to continue Medicaid expansion


The public outcome from days of behind-the-scenes horse-trading played out Tuesday in the state Capitol, where the Senate passed a Medicaid expansion bill and the House killed a bill to “save Colstrip” and the town’s coal-fired power plant.

On a 28-22 vote, the Senate cleared a bill to continue the state’s Medicaid program with the addition of work requirements and a six-year expiration date.

What to do with the government-funded health care program that covers 96,000 Montanans was expected to be one of the biggest bills before the 2019 Legislature, and in the waning days of the legislative session has found its fate tied to other legislation.

Expansion extends Medicaid coverage to those earning up to 138% of the federal poverty level. Montana’s program was first passed by the Legislature in 2015 and would end this summer if lawmakers don’t act. Republican Rep. Ed Buttrey, who carried the bill that originally expanded Medicaid four years ago, is carrying this session's bill, House Bill 658.

Read more: https://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/montana-senate-passes-bill-to-continue-medicaid-expansion/article_9b94e86c-e17a-5b9d-9007-7cd65a303e00.html