Keely Larson

Montana lawmakers are considering a bill that would require insurance companies to cover continuous glucose monitors for people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Multiple studies and experts back up the effectiveness of the devices, showing better blood test results, fewer long-term complications, and a reduction in health care costs.

Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte and legislators agree that Medicaid rates need to rise; where they disagree is by how much.

In 2021, Montana passed House Bill 702 — the first of its kind in the nation — which prohibited discrimination based on vaccine status in settings like employment, education, and health care. This year, lawmakers have introduced proposals to expand vaccine exemptions in schools and change criteria in the workplace and the legal system.

A study commissioned by the last legislative session found that Medicaid providers in Montana were being reimbursed at rates much lower than the cost of care. In his two-year state budget proposal before lawmakers, Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte has proposed increases to the provider rates that fall short of the study’s recommendations.

Montana, which perennially has one of the highest suicide rates in the nation, also has a youth suicide rate twice the national average, according to a study released last year by the state Department of Public Health and Human Services.

As Montana grapples with a health care provider shortage, state lawmakers are trying to find ways to increase access to care.

A fund championed by Gov. Greg Gianforte to fill gaps in Montana’s substance use and behavioral health treatment programs has spent $5.2 million since last year as the state waits for an additional $19 million in federal funding.

Supporters say a measure before Montana lawmakers could help fill health care gaps in rural areas in particular, while opponents worry it would give pharmacists physician-like authority without the same education.

State lawmakers are considering proposals to make it easier for professionals with out-of-state licenses to work in Montana. But lawmakers, behavioral health advocates, and providers say the need for health care workers is so great, they doubt that lowering barriers for out-of-state practitioners will be enough.

Health department officials anticipate having to transfer two dozen patients from the Montana State Hospital to another state-run facility if a bill to end involuntary commitments passes.