Montana Workers Use Medicaid

Jackie Semmens | December 2024 | Presented by the Montana Budget & Policy Center

Montana Workers Use Medicaid to Access Health Care

Medicaid is an essential health care option for a significant portion of Montana’s workforce. These workers, however, are not often able to access employer-sponsored insurance, making Medicaid their only affordable option for health care coverage. In 2019, 16,100 Montana private businesses employed a worker who received health care through expanded Medicaid.^[1] In Montana, 2 out of every 3 adult Medicaid enrollees work (66 percent). An additional 18 percent of enrollees attend school or have caretaking responsibilities, and most of the remainder (13 percent) face illnesses or disabilities that make it difficult to work.^[2]

Many workers often face barriers to full employment

Many workers in Montana who use Medicaid are in low-wage jobs or are working part time. Common reasons for working part time include a lack of full-time employment opportunities, the need to care for other family members, health or medical limitations, and being in school or other training.^[3] Most part-time workers (62 percent) do not receive health insurance at their job.^[4] Additionally, a lack of child care can make full-time employment hard to find. In 2022, there was only one child care slot for every three children younger than age 6, and child care can be difficult to find in rural areas.^[5] Medicaid enrollees work in vital Montana industries, including tourism and agriculture. These fields, however, are often characterized by seasonal employment, part-time work, and irregular or unpredictable hours. Black, Indigenous, and people of color are more likely to work in jobs that pay low wages.^[6] Medicaid ensures workers can receive essential preventative care, a critical need given the generations of discrimination BIPOC people have faced.

Medicaid keeps the workforce healthy

Montana’s current Medicaid program provides an essential route to health care for workers who cannot afford insurance and do not receive it through their job. Prior to the 2015 expansion of Medicaid, many of these workers had no option for affordable health care. Montana must continue its current Medicaid program so workers can retain their access to health care.