Continuing Medicaid Expansion Enrollment: What can we learn from other states?

Mar 23, 2016

Without a doubt, the first three months of enrollment in new affordable health care coverage in Montana has been a true success. The state health agency announced yesterday that, as of March 15, over 38,000 Montanans have gained health insurance through Medicaid expansion. Our blog post earlier this week highlighted the majority of these newly enrolled individuals are living in poverty (many in deep poverty), many of whom have never been able to afford health insurance. The enrollment numbers are exceeding expectations, but it was also not surprising that the state experienced strong enrollment during the months that coincided with open enrollment for health insurance on the federal Marketplace.

It is important to note that the enrollment period for Medicaid is year-round, and the state and other partners must continue to look at ways to improve its outreach. Today, MBPC released its new report looking at some strategies that other states have utilized to expand outreach and enrollment. The report includes specific examples and lessons learned. These lessons come from a number of excellent research reports from the Kaiser Family Foundation, as well as, our direct conversations with individuals engaged in enrollment efforts in Colorado, Indiana, and Washington.

Here are some highlights:

We encourage you to take a look at the report, and we look forward to working with our partners across the state to continue to emphasize the success of Medicaid expansion in Montana.
Montana Budget & Policy Center

Shaping policy for a stronger Montana.

MBPC is a nonprofit organization focused on providing credible and timely research and analysis on budget, tax, and economic issues that impact low- and moderate-income Montana families.