HED: Medicaid and Abortion Top Health Agenda for Montana Lawmakers

Montana lawmakers said lowering costs and expanding patient access will be their top health care goals.

But they also will have to contend with making changes to Medicaid, a management crisis at the Montana State Hospital, and proposals to regulate abortion.

Republicans, who hold a veto-proof majority, said they will focus on three areas of health care: transparency, costs, and patient options.

Democrats, who are the minority party and need Republican help to pass their bills, identified lowering health care costs, protecting Medicaid coverage, and preserving reproductive freedom as their priorities.

Here are some of the top health issues on the agenda: Expanding Patient Access

Expanding telehealth and making it easier for qualified providers from outside the state to practice in Montana are two ways Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte proposes to improve health care access, says spo...