Medicaid important to Montana

Medicaid gives health insurance to many people in Montana, including two out of every five kids. There’s a new plan in the government (often called “one big, beautiful bill”) that might cut health care for over 10 million people who get help from Medicaid.

This could be a big problem for many hospitals and clinics in smaller towns in Montana. If they lose money from Medicaid, they might have to close down. In Montana, lots of people depend on these local hospitals and clinics. So, if Medicaid is cut, it won’t just hurt the people who get Medicaid; it could make it harder for everyone in Montana to get health care.

The organization I work for, Land to Hand, helps people get healthy food and learn about it. We help connect people to local farmers and ranchers through things like farmers’ markets and programs in schools. We worry that if Medicaid is cut, it will hurt local farmers and ranchers. These farmers and ranchers need the local hospitals and clinics. They might also have family members in care homes, and it’s already hard for them to get health care because they work for themselves. If they can’t get good health care, it could affect the food that we all eat.

The new plan would mostly hurt people in Montana who don’t make a lot of money, like older adults, kids, new moms, and even military veterans. Taking away this important health care would hurt thousands of regular Montanans who are already working hard to get by.

Whitney Pratt

Education Manager

Land to Hand

Columbia Falls