Medicaid expansion has saved Montana $30 million

Montana’s Medicaid expansion program has saved the state health department more than $30 million since its start in January 2016, mostly because the federal government paid a bigger share of the costs for some recipients, officials said.

Erica Johnston with the Department of Public Health and Human Services told a legislative oversight committee that the program covers nearly 84,000 residents and has paid for $574 million in healthcare services since it began. Enrollees are required to pay 2% of their monthly income in premiums. The state has collected $5.6 million in premiums, she said.