This June, MBPC joined 65 other organizations across the state to call on the Governor to fund access to public benefits.
While public assistance benefits such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are mostly or fully federally funded, individual states are responsible for administering these programs. The state’s commitment to successful administration of the programs can have a substantial impact on people’s ability to receive the benefits they qualify for.
Over the past year, Montana and other states have had to redetermine eligibility of Medicaid recipients for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic. Montana fared worse than many states, with high rates of children losing coverage and individuals reporting hours-long wait times trying to reach the public assistance helpline.
But the problems facing individuals in need of assistance pre-date the public health emergency. In 2017, the Department of Public Health and Human Services saw huge cuts to its budget and closed 19 Offices of Public Assistance.
The letter calls on the Governor’s office to include increased funding for four primary areas: increased options for in-person assistance; improved phone and website accessibility; increased critical agency personnel to support families in accessing programs; and improved communications with clients. During the Medicaid unwinding, advocates and community organizations identified these areas as the most urgent for the state to address.
The signers of the letter include community service providers, health care providers, Tribal organizations, faith groups and children’s advocates. These are the groups Montanans turn to when they must choose between feeding a family and filling a prescription when their Medicaid application is delayed. These are the people who help individuals without internet navigate online applications. They have seen firsthand the impacts of an underfunded system and are urging the Governor’s office to improve the accessibility of our public benefits programs.
By strengthening the administration of our public benefits system, Montana can help improve the accuracy and efficiency of our safety net. Doing so will help individuals get back on their feet faster and get the help that they need. Read the full letter below:
Dear Governor Gianforte,
The underlying organizations write to you with growing concerns of adequate services provided for families who qualify and are trying to access health care coverage, nutrition services, and other programs administered by state agencies. Thousands of Montana families encounter periods of difficulty when they need to access a secure and manageable safety net. Over the past year, the experience of the Medicaid unwinding has highlighted the ways in which Montana’s safety net is outdated, inaccessible, and cumbersome for those most in need. As your administration develops its 2027 Biennial Budget, we urge you to address these long-standing issues with Montana’s safety net by including an investment to modernize access to Medicaid, Healthy Montana Kids, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and other essential public assistance programs.
The severe cuts to the Department of Public Health and Human Services in 2017 resulted in the closure of 19 Offices of Public Assistance (OPAs) across the state and significant pressure on remaining agency personnel. These budget reductions left Montanans who qualify for benefits struggling to access them. The expedited Medicaid redetermination process has exacerbated these problems. We have seen thousands of families, children, and individuals lose their health care coverage, not due to ineligibility or the fault of hard-working state employees, but due to administrative barriers caused by a system that is unapproachable and unmanageable for many.
As advocates who frequently work with individuals navigating an outmoded system, we believe these are the most essential areas for investment:
1. Increase options for in-person assistance, including consideration of reopening rural OPAs.
In-person assistance is an essential lifeline for elderly, disabled, and rural individuals. With the closure of OPAs in 2017, rural Montanans struggle to access in-person assistance. We urge you to consider including in your budget the restoration of in-person assistance, including an analysis and process to reopen OPAs in communities currently lacking adequate services. In-person applications are more likely to be completed in full, thereby reducing procedural delays.
2. Improve phone and website accessibility.
The state’s apply.mt.gov website is difficult to navigate, based on experiences consistently reported by program applicants and application navigators. Likewise, during the Medicaid unwinding, Montanans reported hours-long wait times on the Public Assistance Help Line. Montana can improve these phone and website capabilities through investments in staffing.
With rural Montanans relying on these means of application, Montana should make significant investments to improve their functionality.
3. Increase critical agency personnel to support families in accessing programs.
Unfortunately, the significant efforts and skills of enrollment and eligibility workers in the Department of Public Health and Human Services have been overshadowed by the lack of sufficient staffing in the Department. This understaffing has resulted in procedural delays during the Medicaid unwinding. We appreciate the Department’s recent statements that it is considering increased staffing levels to streamline application processes. Montana should increase outreach, enrollment, and eligibility staffing in public assistance programs to ensure an accurate and efficient system.
4. Improve communications with clients.
User-friendly communications, including plain-language notices in the client’s preferred language, are key to reducing procedural delays. Consumer advisory groups, focus groups, surveys, and end-user testing can significantly improve the efficiency and efficacy of the state’s communications.
We believe these changes will not only reduce the overall strain on our public benefit system, but improve outcomes as well. All Montanans who qualify for public assistance should be able to access help in a timely manner without facing unnecessary roadblocks. By investing in Montana’s public assistance systems, the state can help Montanans get back on their feet as quickly as possible.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
AARP Montana
Action Inc.
All Nations Health Center
American Heart Association
Anaconda Ministerial Project Care
Arlee Community Development Corporation
Beaverhead Community Food Pantry
Big Sky 55+
Big Sky Community Food Bank
Billings First United Methodist Church
Bitterroot Early Learning Network
Bridgercare
Butte 4-C's
Center for Mental Health
Child Start, Inc.
Community Health Partners
Confluence Public Health Alliance
District 4 Human Resources Development Council
District XI Human Resource Council, Inc.
Early Childhood Coalition of Flathead Valley
Eastern Montana Community Mental Health Center
Families First
Family Promise of Greater Helena
Food Access Sustainability Team - FAST Blackfeet
Fort Peck Tribal Health Department
Friendship Center of Helena
Good Samaritan Ministries, Series 900 LLC
H.O.P.E Pantry (Helping Other People Eat)
Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies - The Montana Coalition
Helena Food Share
Helping Hands Great Falls
Poverello Center
Montana Federation of Public Employees
Miles City Backpack Program
Mission Valley Food Pantry
Missoula Coordinated Entry System
Missoula Food Bank & Community Center
Montana Association for the Education of Young Children
Montana Budget & Policy Center
Montana Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics
Montana Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence
Montana Community Action Network
Montana Consortium for Urban Indian Health
Montana Doula Collaborative
Montana Family Childcare Network
Montana Food Bank Network
Montana Head Start Association
Montana Nonprofit Association
Montana Women Vote
National Association of Social Workers, Montana Chapter
Native American Development Corporation
PureView Health Center
Raise Montana (Montana Childcare Resource & Referral Network)
Red Lodge Senior and Community Center
Soft Landing Missoula
St. Labre Youth & Family Services
SW Montana Veterans Food Pantry & Services
The Salvation Army
Twin Bridges - Montana Farmers' Market and Food Pantry
United Way of Missoula County
United Way of the Lewis and Clark Area
Vineyard Mercy Ministry
Western Native Voice
YWCA Helena
Zero to Five Butte-Silver Bow
Zero to Five Montana
CC: Charlie Brereton, Department Director Jessie Counts, Human Services Executive Director Gene Hermanson, Medicaid Chief Financial Manager
Ryan Osmundson, Director of Budget and Program Planning
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.