Conservative groups are working to undermine support for Montana’s Medicaid expansion in hopes the state will abandon the program. The rollback would be the first in the decade since the Affordable Care Act began allowing states to cover more people with low incomes.

Montana’s expansion, which insures roughly 78,800 people, is set to expire next year unless the legislature and governor opt to renew it. Opponents see a rare opportunity to eliminate Medicaid expansion in one of the 40 states that have approved it.

The Foundation for Government Accountability and Paragon Health Institute, think tanks funded by conservative groups, told Montana lawmakers in September that the program’s enrollment and costs are bloated and that the overloaded system harms access to care for the most vulnerable.

Manatt, a consulting firm that has studied Montana’s Medicaid program for years, then presented legislators with the opposite take, stating that more people have access to critical treatment because of Medicaid expansion. Those who support the program say the conservative groups’ arguments are flawed.

State Rep. Bob Keenan, a Republican who chairs the Health and Human Services Interim Budget Committee, which heard the dueling arguments, said the decision to kill or continue Medicaid expansion “comes down to who believes what.”

The expansion program extends Medicaid coverage to adults with incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level, or nearly $21,000 a year for a single person. Before, the program was largely reserved for children, people with disabilities, and pregnant women. The federal government covers 90% of the expansion cost while states pick up the rest.

National Medicaid researchers have said Montana is the only state considering shelving its expansion in 2025. Others could follow.

New Hampshire legislators in 2023 extended the state’s expansion for seven years and this year blocked legislation to make it permanent. Utah has provisions to scale back or end its Medicaid expansion program if federal contributions drop.

FGA and Paragon have long argued against Medicaid expansion. Tax records show their funders include some large organizations pushing conservative agendas. That includes the 85 Fund, which is backed by Leonard Leo, a conservative activist best known for his efforts to fill the courts with conservative judges.

The president of Paragon Health Institute is Brian Blase, who served as a special assistant to former President Donald Trump and is a visiting fellow at FGA, which quotes him as praising the organization for its “conservative policy wins” across states. He was also announced in 2019 as a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation, which was behind the Project 2025 presidential blueprint, which proposes restricting Medicaid eligibility and benefits.

Paragon spokesperson Anthony Wojtkowiak said its work isn’t directed by any political party or donor. He said Paragon is a nonpartisan nonprofit and responds to policymakers interested in learning more about its analyses.

“In the instance of Montana, Paragon does not have a role in the debate around Medicaid expansion, other than the testimony,” he said.

FGA declined an interview request. As early as last year, the organization began calling on Montana lawmakers to reject reauthorizing the program. It also released a video this year of Montana Republican Rep. Jane Gillette saying the state should allow its expansion to expire.

Gillette requested the FGA and Paragon presentations to state lawmakers, according to Keenan. He said Democratic lawmakers responded by requesting the Manatt presentation.

Manatt’s research was contracted by the Montana Healthcare Foundation, whose mission is to improve the health of Montanans. Its latest report also received support from the state’s hospital association.

The Montana Healthcare Foundation is a funder of KFF Health News, an independent national newsroom that is part of the health information nonprofit KFF.

Bryce Ward, a Montana health economist who studies Medicaid expansion, said some of the antiexpansion arguments don’t add up.

For example, Hayden Dublois, FGA’s data and analytics director, told Montana lawmakers that in 2022 72% of able-bodied adults on Montana’s Medicaid program weren’t working. If that data refers to adults without disabilities, that would come to 97,000 jobless Medicaid enrollees, Ward said. He said that’s just shy of the state’s total population who reported no income at the time, most of whom didn’t qualify for Medicaid.

“It’s simply not plausible,” Ward said.

A Manatt report, citing federal survey data, showed 66% of Montana adults on Medicaid have jobs and an additional 11% attend school.

FGA didn’t respond to a request for its data, which Dublois said in the committee hearing came through a state records request.

Jon Ebelt, a spokesperson for the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, also declined to comment. As of late October, a KFF Health News records request for the data the state provided FGA was pending.

In his presentation before Montana lawmakers, Blase said the most vulnerable people on Medicaid are worse off due to expansion as resources pool toward new enrollees.

“Some people got more medical care; some people got less medical care,” Blase said.

Reports released by the state show its standard monthly reimbursement per Medicaid enrollee remained relatively flat for seniors and adults who are blind or have disabilities.

Drew Gonshorowski, a researcher with Paragon, cited data from a federal Medicaid commission that shows that, overall, states spend more on adults who qualified through the expansion programs than they do on others on Medicaid. That data also shows states spend more on seniors and people with disabilities than on the broader adult population insured by Medicaid, which is also true in Montana.

Nationally, states with expansions spend more money on people enrolled in Medicaid across eligibility groups compared with nonexpansion states, according to a KFF report.

Zoe Barnard, a senior adviser for Manatt who worked for Montana’s health department for nearly 10 years, said not only has the state’s uninsured rate dropped by 30% since it expanded Medicaid, but also some specialty services have grown as more people access care.

FGA has long lobbied nonexpansion states, including Texas, Kansas, and Mississippi, to leave Medicaid expansion alone. In February, an FGA representative testified in support of an Idaho bill that included an expansion repeal trigger if the state couldn’t meet a set of rules, including instituting work requirements and capping enrollment. The bill failed.

Paragon produced an analysis titled “Resisting the Wave of Medicaid Expansion,” and Blase testified to Texas lawmakers this year on the value of continuing to keep expansion out of the Lone Star State.

On the federal level, Paragon recently proposed a Medicaid overhaul plan to phase out the federal 90% matching rate for expansion enrollees, among other changes to cut spending. The left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has countered that such ideas would leave more people without care.

In Montana, Republicans are defending a supermajority they didn’t have when a bipartisan group passed the expansion in 2015 and renewed it in 2019. Also unlike before, there’s now a Republican in the governor’s office. Gov. Greg Gianforte is up for reelection and has said the safety net is important but shouldn’t get too big.

Keenan, the Republican lawmaker, predicted the expansion debate won’t be clear-cut when legislators convene in January.

“Medicaid expansion is not a yes or no. It’s going to be a negotiated decision,” he said.

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism.

RENO, Nev. (Nevada Athletics) – Nevada women’s basketball returned home after two weeks of being way, hosting Weber State, where Lexie Givens jumped to eighth all-time in rebounds in the 66-62 loss to the Wildcats.

Givens recorded 12 rebounds on the night, bumping her to eighth in the Nevada women’s basketball record book after tying ninth last season. With her rebounds, combined with 10 points, Givens got her first double-double of the season. 

The first half started out strong for the Wolf Pack as they scored the first points off of free throws by Dymonique Maxie.

Nevada only gave up the lead once in the opening quarter, which it quickly got back and maintained throughout the remainder of the first 10.

Quarter two began with the Pack up 17-9.

The lead stayed with Nevada through five minutes, with Weber State slowly cutting into it. With 5:13 left in the half, the game was tied at 23. Nevada then found itself playing from behind for the rest of the quarter, trailing 40-27 heading into the break.

In the third quarter, Nevada began its comeback, cutting a once 15-point Wildcat lead down to just six. An eight-point run by the Wolf Pack allowed them to get back into it, beginning with free throws by Rakiyah Jackson. She was followed by back-to-back layups, scored first by Audrey Roden and then Izzy Sullivan.

Givens capped off the run with two more made free throws.

Weber State extended its lead a bit heading into the fourth, Nevada down, 51-43.

The final 10 saw the Wolf Pack’s first lead since the second quarter. Nevada inched its way back in front after a three-pointer by Roden, putting the Pack up, 57-56, with just over five minutes remaining in the game.

Nevada tried to keep the lead, but was unable to hold on, dropping the hard-fought battle to Weber State.

Roden, Maxie and Jackson all led the team with 11 points a piece. Jackson also recorded seven rebounds, followed by Olivia Poulivaati with six. Maxie led both teams in steals with a season high of five.

Nevada will remain at home to take on Morgan State on Sunday at 1 PM.

Copyright 2024 KOLO. All rights reserved.

Middle Tennessee State football will honor its seniors when the Blue Raiders play host to New Mexico State Saturday (1:30 p.m., ESPN+) at Floyd Stadium.

The Blue Raiders (3-7, 2-4 Conference USA) were eliminated from bowl contention with a 37-17 loss to Liberty two weeks ago. MTSU had an open date last week.

New Mexico State (2-8, 1-5) has lost three in a row and eight of nine, including a 38-3 loss to Texas A&M last week. A 33-30 CUSA win over Louisiana Tech is the only victory in that stretch.

Below is information on how to watch the game, betting odds and other information:

Watch MTSU football games live on Fubo

What channel is MTSU football vs. New Mexico State on today?

TV: ESPN+

Livestream: Fubo (free trial)

MTSU vs. New Mexico State will broadcast nationally on CBS Sports Network in Week 11 of the 2024 college football season. Jake Rose (play by play), Jeremy Kellem (color commentator) and Justin Beasley (sideline) will call the game from the booth at Floyd Stadium. Streaming options for the game include Fubo,, which offers a free trial to new subscribers.

MTSU vs. New Mexico State football time today

• Date: Saturday, Nov. 23
• Start time: 1:30 p.m., CT

The MTSU vs. New Mexico State game starts at noon at Floyd Stadium.

Purchase MTSU football tickets on StubHub

MTSU football vs. New Mexico State prediction, picks, odds

Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Thursday, Nov. 21

MTSU 24, New Mexico State 17: In a matchup involving two of the league’s lowest-scoring offenses and bottom two defenses, something has to give. MTSU will win its third home game of the season to finish 3-3 at Floyd Stadium.

ODDS: MTSU by 3.5

O/U: 51.5

SCOUTING REPORT: MTSU football vs New Mexico State: Score prediction, scouting report in Week 13 game

MTSU football 2024 schedule

Aug. 31: MTSU 32, Tennessee Tech 25

Sept. 7: Ole Miss 52, MTSU 3

Sept. 14: Western Kentucky 49, MTSU 21

Sept. 21: Duke 45, MTSU 17

Sept. 28: Memphis 24, MTSU 7

Oct. 10: Louisiana Tech 48, MTSU 21

Oct. 15: MTSU 14, Kennesaw State 5

Oct. 23: Jacksonville State 42, MTSU 20

Nov. 2: MTSU 20, UTEP 13

Nov. 9: Liberty 37, MTSU 17

Nov. 23: vs. New Mexico State, 1:30 p.m., ESPN+

Nov. 30: at Florida International, 1 p.m., ESPN platforms

Dec. 6: Conference USA championship game, CBS Sports Network

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Cecil Joyce covers high school sports and MTSU athletics for The Daily News Journal. Contact him at cjoyce@dnj.com and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @Cecil_Joyce.