HELENA — The House of Representatives advanced a bill Monday that would provide continuous eligibility for two years for kids younger than six enrolled in the Healthy Montana Kids program. The sponsor says it will address gaps in health insurance coverage for children.
The current system for the free or low-cost health insurance program for low-income families requires families to reapply for eligibility every year. Rep. Ed Stafman, D-Bozeman, said this can be difficult for busy families, leaving children in a back-and-forth of losing and regaining coverage. Stafman said continuous enrollment is crucial, particularly after 15% of Montana children covered under Medicaid or Healthy Montana Kids lost their coverage in the redetermination process after COVID.
Stafman said House Bill 185 focuses on younger kids because that is when their development is most critical.
“We know that 90% of brain cells are grown in those years,” Stafman said. “Missed well-baby visits and regular medical care often result in more ER visits, problems that could have been prevented with well-childcare – less school readiness, and a host of other problems.”
But Rep. Jane Gillette, R-Three Forks, said in a previous debate on the bill that the process of redetermination is important to make sure that when a family’s income or insurance situation changes, the state can be relieved of their insurance costs.
“It probably wouldn’t surprise you that a lot of people don’t report changes in their incomes,” Gillete said. “You know, things just, life gets busy. They just don’t get around to reporting changes in their income. So that’s why the redetermination process is important.”
The bill passed the preliminary House vote 57-43 and awaits the final vote before moving to the Senate.
Emma White is a reporter with the UM Legislative News Service, a partnership of the University of Montana School of Journalism, the Montana Broadcasters Association and the Greater Montana Foundation. White can be reached at emma.white@umconnect.umt.edu
