Montana moves toward Medicaid accountability

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act recently signed into law by President Trump contains important reforms to Obamacare’s Medicaid Expansion program.

It helps control taxpayer costs and incentivizes able-bodied adults to work, go to school or otherwise meaningfully engage as productive community members in exchange for benefits. That’s the good news.

 The great news is Montana isn’t waiting around to act. Many of us applaud Director Brereton and his Department of Health and Human Services for moving rapidly to get these community engagement requirements in place. 

 The sooner these reforms are in place, the sooner the government program becomes more of a “hand up” and less of a “hand out.” Medicaid Expansion was passed in Montana in 2015 with work requirements included. Both the Legislature and the Democrat governor signing the bill believed participants needed to be part of the solution. Now, 10 years later, we are finally implementing common sense buy-in from enrollees. These changes implement major steps in the right direction. 

As a taxpayer and someone who wants upward mobility for those on government welfare programs, I thank the leaders at DPHHS and Gov. Greg Gianforte for doing the work necessary to make Montana a national leader on this issue, moving us in the direction of accountability faster than almost any other state. 

Sen. Matt Regier, R-Kalispell.