News Release
Montana Chosen for Grant to Help Uninsured
7/18/2002
Maggie Bullock
406-444-4141
mschwarz@state.mt.us
The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services will receive $721,377 from its federal counterpart, along with technical assistance and collaboration with other states also looking to expand health insurance coverage.
In its application for the State Planning Grant, Montana noted that an estimated 162,000 people, or 18.5 percent of the state's population, were without health insurance in 2000. The national rate at the time was 14 percent, and Montana's rate has been climbing steadily since 1995 when it was 12.7 percent.
"Making health insurance accessible and affordable for Montanans will be a dominant theme during the 2003 Legislature and certainly is one of my administration's top priorities," Governor Judy Martz said. "This grant will provide us the ability to delve deeply into this issue and determine what will be done, how and when."
Martz, who organized a health care summit in May that brought together broad groups to begin examining the subject in earnest, will be appointing a steering committee to oversee the grant project. Committee members will include representation from the university system, legislature, government, private business, health care consumers and providers, insurers and community organizations. The state has contracted with Kelly Moorse of Helena to direct the grant; Ellery and Associates prepared the grant application.
Montana's project proposal calls for collecting and analyzing data to describe the characteristics of Montana's uninsured population; to date such an effort hasn't been done. Uninsured rates in Montana have been based on federal or private estimates.
Once accurate data about Montana's uninsured is known, the state will develop options to provide affordable coverage and adequate benefits in the coming six years.
Other states selected for State Planning Grants were Alabama, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, South Carolina, West Virginia and Wyoming. The Virgin Islands was also selected. The highest amount given was $1.28 million to Maine.
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