Record numbers of people are using the services of the Missoula Food Bank and Community Center, and medical expenses are the No. 2 reason they need help, according to the food bank’s director.
“Thirty percent say medical costs are the reason they feel food insecure today,” said Amy Allison-Thompson, executive director of the food bank; she said housing was the #1 reason.
April Siat, director of the Hope Rescue Mission, said some people are ineligible for Medicaid but have a hard time affording insurance from the marketplace because their wages are garnished by up to 80 percent.
“The vast majority of them get their wages garnished because of past medical bills,” Seat said.
Since last April, one in 10 Montanans has lost health insurance coverage through Medicaid or Healthy Montana Kids, or 132,000, according to Cover Montana. Coverage is expected for 41,000 people.
Montana also had the highest share of children who lost coverage in the U.S. from April to December 2023, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. It reported a 26.6 percent loss, based on federal data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
On Thursday, about 20 state and community leaders in health, education and social services met in Missoula at the Partnership Health Center to launch an all-hands-on-deck statewide campaign to re-enroll Montanans for health insurance — “Cover yourself again” campaign.
People lost coverage in the state’s process for determining whether people are still eligible for Medicaid. The goal of Cover Montana, a program of the Montana Primary Care Association, is to re-enroll people who are still eligible for Medicaid and help others find an affordable plan in the health insurance marketplace.
The loss of coverage means children who have started to make progress through therapy or other services can’t continue, said Kade Anderson, a licensed clinical professional counselor based at a public school.
“Unfortunately, in these situations, we would see that health coverage — or the lack of coverage — was what was driving these treatment decisions relative to the needs of the children,” said Anderson, a behavioral health clinician at Partnership Health Center.
Its absence also has a trickle-down effect, said Barbara Frank of Missoula County Public Schools. This affects not only 5-year-olds who enter the classroom without ever having visited the dentist, but also their ability to read in third grade—which impacts their education through college and their careers.
“Our community pays a higher price in the end,” said Frank, P-12 academic director and director of community services.
Cover Montana’s Olivia Riuta said more than 64 percent of people who lost coverage lost it for procedural reasons — or paperwork. Maybe they sent documents a day late, she said.
“We don’t really know if they’re eligible for Medicaid anymore,” said Riuta, director of special populations at the Montana Primary Care Association, which includes community health centers and urban Indian organizations.
But people are being told by the state that they’re no longer covered, even if it’s not true, said SJ Howell, executive director of Montana Women Vote. And it’s a barrier for people in difficult situations right out of the gate.
“It’s really confusing,” said Howell, also a state legislator from Missoula. ” … In fact, we should start by saying, “It’s worth trying again. You may still be eligible.”
Riuta, who encouraged people and partner organizations to help identify those who need insurance, said some people may qualify for insurance from the marketplace, but some may be eligible for Medicaid despite a letter from the state.
“We hear that a lot, and it’s extremely concerning,” Riuta said of people who think they’re ineligible.
Jen Ewell, head of the YWCA Missoula, said the insurance campaign could help people with housing in the long run as well, especially with the idea that insurance experts can visit nonprofits in person. The 150 people admitted to the shelter each night are among those most likely to have lost Medicaid, she said, and they stay an average of 3.5 months.
“So we have this unique window of opportunity to really connect them with all the resources that will make sure they’re successful and don’t come back to our shelter in six months,” Ewell said.
To reach people directly, Missoula Mayor Andrea Davis said a “guerrilla marketing campaign” could be helpful. She suggested pop-up tables in grocery stores, posters on cork boards and information on the side of vans that deliver services to people.
“Our communications have changed so, so dramatically in the last few years as a society,” Davis said.
Most Montanans qualify for some form of financial assistance, according to Cover Montana.
“We’ve seen a pretty staggering loss of coverage,” Riuta said. “So we’re really interested in what we can do across the state to get people safe again.”
Cover yourself again
Editor’s note: Keila Szpaller is on the board of YWCA Missoula.
