Missoula County supports HB 658 and HB 425, both of which would permanently expand Medicaid, up for hearing in the Human Services Committee tomorrow morning. Medicaid expansion has been an unqualified success both for Missoula County and for the state of Montana. The costs of uninsured or underinsured citizens strains human services programs nationally, including in Missoula County. Through the Community Assistance Fund, Missoula County has attempted to fill vital social and medical service gaps for many years, but the number of requests each year still far exceeds available funding. Not only does Medicaid expansion address the basic medical needs of our most vulnerable citizens, but, as numerous studies show, increasing access to quality health care reduces the strains on other social and criminal justice services. While Missoula County prefers Medicaid expansion be continued without any additional requirements placed on members, recognizing that most who qualify under the expansion are the working poor, we believe Medicaid expansion in any form is vital to both the health of our citizens and also to the economic well-being of Missoula and Montana.
Please support continuing Medicaid expansion in Montana.
Sent 3/15:
ReplyDeleteRepresentative Winter,
Missoula County supports HB 658 and HB 425, both of which would permanently expand Medicaid, up for hearing in the Human Services Committee tomorrow morning. Medicaid expansion has been an unqualified success both for Missoula County and for the state of Montana. The costs of uninsured or underinsured citizens strains human services programs nationally, including in Missoula County. Through the Community Assistance Fund, Missoula County has attempted to fill vital social and medical service gaps for many years, but the number of requests each year still far exceeds available funding. Not only does Medicaid expansion address the basic medical needs of our most vulnerable citizens, but, as numerous studies show, increasing access to quality health care reduces the strains on other social and criminal justice services. While Missoula County prefers Medicaid expansion be continued without any additional requirements placed on members, recognizing that most who qualify under the expansion are the working poor, we believe Medicaid expansion in any form is vital to both the health of our citizens and also to the economic well-being of Missoula and Montana.
Please support continuing Medicaid expansion in Montana.