Katheryn Houghton

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khoughton@kff.org
@K_Hought

Montana Vows Changes to Avoid Delayed Contracts. Some Health Providers Still Await Back Pay.

KFF Health News Original

The head of Montana’s health department said the agency is catching up on a months-long backlog of contracts with organizations that connect people to medical care that left organizations without pay, halted some services, and triggered job cuts.

Delays in State Contracts Leave Montana Health Providers Strapped

KFF Health News Original

The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services is months behind in paying organizations contracted to connect people to care. The interruption is likely to have lasting effects, even after the state catches up.

El daño colateral de la crisis de Medicaid: miles están perdiendo beneficios de alimentos

KFF Health News Original

Las familias de bajos ingresos que necesitan servicios como ayuda alimentaria y dinero en efectivo, se ven afectadas por la carrera burocrática para determinar si decenas de millones de personas aún califican para Medicaid.

“Peor de lo que la gente cree”, cambios en Medicaid crean caos en los estados

KFF Health News Original

Tanto beneficiarios como defensores de pacientes dicen que los funcionarios de Medicaid enviaron formularios de renovación obligatoria a direcciones viejas, calcularon mal los niveles de ingresos e hicieron malas traducciones de los documentos.

Feds Try to Head Off Growing Problem of Overdoses Among Expectant Mothers

KFF Health News Original

Homicides, suicides, and drug overdoses have driven rising rates of pregnancy-related death in the U.S. This fall, six states received federal funding for substance use treatment interventions to prevent at least some of those deaths.

Domestic Violence Shelters Move Out of Hiding

KFF Health News Original

A new domestic violence shelter in Bozeman, Montana, reflects efforts nationwide to rethink the model that keeps survivors of abuse in hiding. But there are no guidelines for bringing shelters out into the open, leaving each to make it up as they go.

As Montana’s Mental Health Crisis Care Crumbles, Politicians Promise Aid

KFF Health News Original

One of Montana’s largest mental health providers has ratcheted back services amid financial troubles, leaving a vacuum. State policymakers have promised more money to aid behavioral health care, but lasting change could be years out.

Schools Struggle With Lead in Water While Awaiting Federal Relief

KFF Health News Original

President Joe Biden said in his State of the Union address that federal funds will pay to replace lead pipes in hundreds of thousands of schools and child care centers. In the meantime, schools are dealing with high lead levels now.

Republican Lawmakers Shy Away From Changing Montana’s Constitutional Right to Abortion

KFF Health News Original

Lawmakers in 14 states have passed near-total bans on abortion since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. But in some conservative-led states where court rulings determined their constitutions protect abortion, including Montana, politicians haven’t asked voters to weigh in.

Montana’s Tax-Exempt Hospitals Oppose Increased Oversight by State Officials

KFF Health News Original

As Montana officials seek to make nonprofit hospitals prove the benefits they provide the community justify their tax exemptions, industry leaders propose their own changes — which state officials say would further limit the state’s authority.

As States Seek to Limit Abortions, Montana Wants to Redefine What Is Medically Necessary

KFF Health News Original

Montana officials are looking to tighten rules around medically necessary abortions for those who use Medicaid as their health insurance. Reproductive health advocates and Democratic lawmakers have said the move is part of a broader agenda to whittle away access to the procedure.

Montana Backs Away From Innovative Hospital Payment Model. Other States Are Watching.

KFF Health News Original

Montana has been a national model for how employers could gain control and transparency over medical bills. Upcoming changes to its model have health care price experts wondering whether the state is making improvements or losing focus.