Montana agency seeks $70 million to standardize facility wages, shift funding to operations

Summary

The Department of Public Health and Human Services and legislative analysts told the Section B subcommittee the budget’s largest proposal — DP 33104 — would raise clinical wages, add one-time funding for contract labor and remove 97.3 vacant positions from the personnel budget to align appropriation with current spending patterns.

Legislative analysts and Health Department officials told the Legislature’s Section B subcommittee that the largest change package in the healthcare facilities request, DP 33104, would redirect how facility staffing and contract labor are funded across seven state-run facilities.

LFD analyst Dr. David Pollet said the package ‘‘adjusts wages for clinical positions, RNs, psych techs, and others’’ and pairs ongoing personal-services funding with large one-time-only (OTO) operating amounts for contracted labor. Pollet pointed committee members to the decision-package materials and suggested the Legislature might ‘‘clarify legislative intent for changes of this type.’’

The nut graph: The package totals roughly $70.3 million total funds for the 2027 biennium, including about $69.9 million in general fund, according to materials and department testimony. It combines wage increases for state clinical staff,…

Montana agency seeks $70 million to standardize facility wages, shift funding to operations

Summary

Subscribe to keep reading