Medicaid ensures local access to health care

Our local legislators are in Helena debating the future of Montana’s Medicaid program. Montana Medicaid doesn’t only provide access to essential care to the thousands of Montanans on the program, it also ensures local access to care for all residents in the communities we serve.

St. Luke Community Healthcare is the heart of healthcare in the Mission Valley. We have proudly cared for patients across this valley since 1953.  We have worked hard to continually improve the quality of care we deliver and have expanded services to become the largest provider of healthcare services in the valley.

The current Medicaid program has been incredibly important in allowing St. Luke to keep quality care close to home. Not only has it helped reduce uncompensated care costs across Montana, but without the current coverage under Medicaid there would be a $4.5-to-$6-million-dollar reduction in reimbursement at St. Luke Community Healthcare. 

Having coverage under Medicaid allows us to keep our doors open and to continue to expand services available to the community, making a real difference throughout our region. If the current level of Medicaid coverage isn’t continued, we will face hard decisions that could impact care and services.

I am hopeful that our legislators will see how important continuing Montana’s Medicaid program is to keeping care close to home here in the Mission Valley.  Please join me in letting them know that by supporting Medicaid, they are supporting our community’s health and economic well-being.  

– Steve Todd, CEO of St. Luke Community Healthcare