Katheryn Houghton

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khoughton@kff.org
@K_Hought

Meet the Florida Group Chipping Away at Public Benefits One State at a Time

KFF Health News Original

The Trump administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” platform has boosted the agenda of a conservative think tank that’s been working for more than a decade to reshape the nation’s public assistance programs.

In a Broken Mental Health System, a Tiny Jail Cell Becomes an Institution of Last Resort

KFF Health News Original

Like local jails nationwide, Montana’s small holding facilities have become institutions of last resort as patients in mental health crisis stall in backlogs, waiting for beds at the state-run mental hospital.

States Push Medicaid Work Rules, but Few Programs Help Enrollees Find Jobs

KFF Health News Original

Republicans are pushing to implement requirements that Medicaid recipients work in order to obtain or retain coverage. Some states try to help enrollees find jobs. But states lack the data to show whether they’re effective.

Officials Seek To Dismantle Appeals Board for Montanans Denied Public Assistance

KFF Health News Original

The Montana health department says the Board of Public Assistance is redundant and a bureaucratic hurdle that helps few people. Current and former board representatives say the rare cases in which the panel helps people are important.

Voters Backed Abortion Rights but State Judges Have Final Say

KFF Health News Original

Though abortion rights supporters prevailed on ballot measures in seven of the 10 states where abortion was up for a vote on Nov. 5, the state supreme courts voters have elected indicate legal fights to come aren’t clear-cut.

Native American Patients Are Sent to Collections for Debts the Government Owes

KFF Health News Original

Federal law says Native Americans aren’t liable for medical bills the Indian Health Service promises to pay. Some are billed anyway as a result of backlogs or mistakes from the agency, financial middlemen, or health systems.

Former Montana Health Staffer Rebukes Oversight Rules as a Hospital ‘Wish List’

KFF Health News Original

The push-pull in Montana reflects a national tension as states try to decide what counts as fair checks on tax-exempt hospitals and industry players weigh in. The debate centers on whether nonprofit hospitals do enough good to earn their charitable status.

Hospitals Adjust as Rates of Maternal High Blood Pressure Spike

KFF Health News Original

Health researchers are noticing a growing problem in American pregnancies: more cases of blood pressure so high it can be deadly for the parent and baby. U.S. rates of newly developed and chronic maternal high blood pressure skyrocketed from 2007 through 2019, and researchers say they haven’t slowed down. Hospitals are working to adjust their […]

Montana Looks To Fast-Track Medicaid Access for Older Applicants

KFF Health News Original

As Montana’s population ages, providers serving low-income seniors say more people aren’t getting the care they need as they wait to get on Medicaid. Montana lawmakers are considering creating a shortcut to that care.

Deadly High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy Is on the Rise

KFF Health News Original

More pregnant women are being diagnosed with dangerously high blood pressure, which risks the life of the parent and child. Montana is one of the states improving screening and treatment as health facilities work to match care with best practices.

Patients Suffer When Indian Health Service Doesn’t Pay for Outside Care

KFF Health News Original

The Indian Health Service has a program that can pay for outside appointments when patients need care not offered at agency-funded sites. Critics say money shortages, complex rules, and administrative fumbles often block access, however.

Montana Looks To Become Latest State To Boost Nonprofit Hospital Oversight

KFF Health News Original

Montana’s proposal to increase oversight is part of a national trend by states to ensure nonprofit hospitals act as charitable organizations as they claim tax-exempt status. But the state has yet to set standards for how much the hospitals must do.

Safety-Net Health Clinics Cut Services and Staff Amid Medicaid ‘Unwinding’

KFF Health News Original

One of Montana’s largest safety-net health centers announced it will lay off nearly 10% of its workforce because of revenue losses it attributes to vast Medicaid disenrollments. Such cuts are happening elsewhere too.

Addiction Treatment Homes Say Montana’s Funding Fixes Don’t Go Far Enough

KFF Health News Original

Montana has created a voucher program to help cover room and board costs at low-intensity residential programs for people with addiction. Those running the homes say bridging that care is urgent but that the program’s funding falls far below the need.

Sign Here? Financial Agreements May Leave Doctors in the Driver’s Seat

KFF Health News Original

Agreeing to an out-of-network doctor’s own financial policy — which generally protects their ability to get paid and may be littered with confusing insurance and legal jargon — can create a binding contract that leaves a patient owing.

Health Care Workers Push for Their Own Confidential Mental Health Treatment

KFF Health News Original

Montana may join about a dozen other states in creating “safe havens” that keep health care professionals from facing scrutiny from licensure boards for seeking mental health or addiction treatment.