Bullock again urges continued Medicaid expansion in State of the State speech in Helena

[TexasTowelie]

In his last State of the State address, Montana Gov. Steve Bullock cast an eye back on his tenure in office, reflecting on passing some of his hallmark policies such as a pilot program for public preschool, and imploring lawmakers to continue a program he wants to see become a piece of his legacy — Medicaid expansion.

Bullock is a two-term Democrat governor termed out from running in 2020. He’s had a Republican majority in the Legislature for all of his six years in office, but has been able to get through some of his most sought-after legislation that he listed Thursday night.

That includes Medicaid expansion, passed in the 2015 legislative session as the Montana Health and Economic Livelihood Partnership (HELP) Act, carried by a Republican. In their rebuttal to Bullock's speech, Republicans expressed qualms about the federal money that helps fund Medicaid expansion.

Ever since the HELP Act went into effect, Bullock has been building statistics to make the argument Medicaid expansion has been a good deal for the state and should continue in its current form. A sunset in the original bill calls for it to expire this summer, unless lawmakers choose to extend it.

Read more: https://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/bullock-again-urges-continued-medicaid-expansion-in-state-of-the/article_15edcb90-ee7a-587c-b868-8120919e130f.html