Missoula County receives legislative update on Medicaid, competing property-tax proposals and SB115; consent agenda approved

The Missoula County Board of County Commissioners approved the meeting consent agenda and received a legislative update covering Medicaid expansion bills, competing property-tax proposals that would create or change homestead exemptions, and SB115, a bill that would cap local revenue growth at 4 percent.

A Missoula County staff member told commissioners the county had circulated a joint letter — signed by the county board, the Gallatin County Board of County Commissioners, the chief executive of Butte-Silver Bow and the City of Missoula — supporting continuation of Medicaid expansion to preserve funding for federally qualified health centers and rural hospitals. “One bill would stop new enrollees and allow expansion to end by attrition,” the staff member said; another bill pending this week would extend expansion.

Why it matters: Changes to Medicaid expansion affect how rural health providers are paid and could alter funding streams for local health…