Montana Gov. Steve Bullock has signed the Montana Health and Economic Livelihood Partnership Act into law, expanding Medicaid eligibility to about 70,000 low-income Montana residents, according to The Montana Standard.
Under the new law, Montana will accept federal funds to expand Medicaid eligibility to those with incomes at or below 138 percent of the federal poverty level.
The plan requires those who enroll in the expanded Medicaid program to pay healthcare premiums and co-payments for certain services. Therefore, before the program can be officially put into place, the state must get a waiver from the federal government, according to the report.
Montana Sen. Ed Buttrey (R-Great Falls) estimates only about 60 percent of those eligible for the expanded program will sign up due to the to premium and co-payment requirements.
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