State Expansions: Montana

In 2005, Montana established the Insure Montana program to help small businesses with their health care costs. The program provides affordable health insurance for businesses with between two and nine employees. For a small business to be eligible, the employer must not have offered coverage in the past six months, and all employees must earn less than $75,000 annually (excluding the employer). Coverage is provided through the Health Insurance Purchasing Pool, and the state subsidizes both the employer and employee share of premiums. Employees pay premiums on a sliding scale based on income. 

Insure Montana also offers a refundable tax credit to small businesses that provide health coverage for their employees. To be eligible for the tax credit, businesses must have between two and nine employees, and all employees must earn less than $75,000 a year. The tax credit covers up to 50 percent of the employer’s share of premiums.

In addition to the small business expansion, Montana has also increased health care access for children. In November 2008, voters heavily supported a ballot initiative to expand the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Proposition 155 increased the income eligibility limit for children in CHIP from 175 percent of poverty ($30,800 for a family of four in 2008) to 250 percent of poverty ($44,000 for a family of three in 2008). This expansion extended coverage to approximately 30,000 children—the vast majority of Montana's remaining uninsured kids.

Montana Expansion Resources

For general resources on state expansions, see Other Resources.

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