By Kathleen Shannon - Producer, Contact - News
Big Sky Connection - A 2024 report shows about one-quarter of Montana families received public assistance at some point following Medicaid expansion. On this National Caregivers Day (Fri., Feb. 21), their advocates say it's important to highlight that most of those recipients are caregivers. Comments by Bryce Ward, founder of ABMJ Consulting, which issued the report for the Headwaters Foundation.
Click on the image above for the audio. According to a 2024 report, 74% of Montana families who received one form of income-based public assistance between 2016 and 2022 were single, aging or disabled adults with kids. (Adobe Stock)
Kathleen Shannon
February 21, 2025 - Today is National Caregivers Day, recognizing those who help friends or family members who are living with an illness, injury or disability.
A 2024 report painted a picture of Montanans who rely on public assistance, a picture largely populated by caregivers.
The report, commissioned by the Headwaters Foundation, found about one in four Montana families, or 120,000, received income-based public assistance in a given year after Medicaid expansion. It noted most are working families with children, or family members who are older or disabled.
Bryce Ward, founder of ABMJ Consulting, compiled the report.
"It's not hard to imagine how they got into this situation," Ward pointed out. "They're just low-income workers or the people for whom it's hard to work. They're old or disabled, or they have kids or other caregiving responsibilities."
Medicaid expansion is getting a lot of attention in the current Montana Legislature. House Bill 245, which would continue the program beyond its original June sunset date, was referred to the Senate Committee on Finance and Claims yesterday after passing the House earlier this month.
A big takeaway from the report is there is no "typical" participant in public assistance and many who need it use it for brief time periods. Ward cautioned conversations in the policy and media spaces can have what he called a "dehumanizing element." He hopes the report will change it.
"These populations include all the different types of people in Montana," Ward stressed. "You probably know lots of people who have, or are on, income-based public assistance."
The median family of three with income around the poverty line receives about $400 a month in benefits, according to the report.
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