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PNS - Wednesday, January 15, 2025 - Hegseth could lead troops who'd face getting fired for actions he's done in the past; Strong Santa Ana winds return for SoCal; Southeast Asian refugees in MA fear deportation, seek Biden pardon; RSV rise puts Indiana hospitals on alert; CT lawmakers urged to focus on LGBTQ+ legislation.
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By Kathleen Shannon - Producer, Contact - News
Big Sky Connection - An overarching health topic during this year’s legislative session in Montana is Medicaid expansion, which is due to expire in June. A coalition of groups that support expansion, including caregivers who rely on the coverage, are rallying in Helena on Wednesday. Comments from Jeannie [JEAN-ee] Brown, bus driver, Belgrade Public School District, and full-time caregiver; and Kristen Stewart, Billings organizer, Big Sky 55+.
Click on the image above for the audio. According to KFF Health News, roughly 77,000 Montanans were enrolled in Medicaid expansion last October, a topic expected to get a lot of attention this legislative session as the program is scheduled to expire in June. (Adobe Stock)
Kathleen Shannon
January 14, 2025 - A coalition of Montana groups will rally at the Capitol Wednesday to advocate for the protection of Medicaid expansion, which legislators will debate this session before the program's scheduled expiration in June.
The state's 10-year-old Medicaid expansion program covers 75,000 low-income Montanans at an annual cost of about $1 billion, according to KFF Health News. The state picks up about 10% of the tab.
Kristen Stewart, Billings organizer for the advocacy group Big Sky 55+ and a caregiver who is enrolled in Medicaid herself, noted many Medicaid enrollees work but the work is often undervalued.
"Medicaid supports a lot of people who are doing unpaid work," Stewart pointed out. "Things that were we to monetize, you would see an economic boost from their production level, often more than the cost of their care."
The Gianforte administration already tightened eligibility for the program, cutting the number of enrollees by nearly 40% between May 2023 and October 2024. The program currently covers nondisabled adults ages 19 to 64 who make less than $21,000 a year.
Jeannie Brown, a bus driver for the Belgrade Public School District and a full-time caregiver and legal guardian for her teenage granddaughter, said if Medicaid expansion does not get reauthorized, she will be on a "slippery slope."
"Because I'm 60 years old and I'm having my own health issues after being a caregiver, it's hard work and it takes a toll on you physically, financially and emotionally," Brown explained. "I'm hoping these legislators really take all of these things into consideration and reauthorize it."
Any laws passed on the issue could also affect the state's behavioral health services, which Gov. Greg Gianforte has made a priority.
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PNS - Tuesday, January 14, 2025 - Republicans want to attach 'strings' to California fire aid, a judge clears the release of findings about Trump election interference, and North Carolina Republicans seek to invalidate tens of thousands of votes in the state's Supreme Court race.
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PNS - Tuesday, January 14, 2025 Powerful winds in the forecast as firefighters battle major LA County wildfires; Trump supporters go 'all in' for Pete Hegseth with money, coordination; Hoosiers on alert as Trump's OMB pick sparks policy concerns; Ohio cities embrace clean energy innovation; CA trans advocates focus on economic opportunity.
