Article Summary –
Cover Montana, a part of the Montana Primary Care Association, is leading a campaign called “Get Covered Again” to help people who have lost their Medicaid coverage regain it as quickly as possible. The director of the group, Olivia Riutta, stated that one in ten Montanans have lost coverage since the state’s eligibility review began in April of last year. Over 132,000 people lost coverage between April 2023 and January 2024, 64% of whom were disenrolled due to procedural reasons or failure to provide requested information.
Missoula Community Organizations Plan for the Restoration of Health Care Coverage
Missoula community organizations gathered at Partnership Health Center to strategize solutions to restore health care coverage swiftly for the thousands of individuals removed from the state Medicaid programs in the past year.
The campaign, labeled “Get Covered Again,” is led by Cover Montana, which is federally supported and serves as a branch of the Montana Primary Care Association committed to facilitating Montanans in finding and acquiring health insurance. The organization’s director, Olivia Riutta, reported that 10% of Montanans have lost their coverage since the state initiated its mass-eligibility assessment in April of last year.
As per the March data update by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, over 132,000 people were deprived of coverage between April 2023 and January 2024, with 64% being disenrolled due to procedural reasons or for failing to provide the required information.
Governor Greg Gianforte’s administration has justified the state’s federally approved redetermination plan, notwithstanding federal notices pertaining to the high rates of childhood disenrollment and prolonged call center wait times. KTVH News reported the governor’s office stating that Medicaid enrollment in Montana has returned to its pre-pandemic levels.
At the Thursday meeting, multiple attendees shared personal accounts of clients and families struggling after losing Medicaid coverage due to procedural issues. Representatives from Mountain Home Montana, a Missoula-based mental health center, stated that about half of their 70 active clients lost coverage during the unwinding period.
Riutta stressed an all-inclusive approach involving community groups to aid in the state’s Medicaid application process or to link people with affordable alternatives through federal marketplaces or employers. She believes that front-line groups and service providers will be instrumental in re-enrollment efforts.
The attendees, including Missoula Mayor Andrea Davis, exchanged ideas about hosting pop-up enrollment aid at schools, libraries, and social service organizations. Representatives of mobile crisis support teams, housing support programs, and emergency shelters discussed training their staff on state and federal health care sign-ups and referring clients to personalized enrollment counseling.
Riutta estimated that as many as 125,000 Montanans will require assistance in reapplying for Medicaid or finding other insurance.
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