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Committee advances bill to raise top age for Medicaid work requirement from 55 to 62
Summary
The House Health and Human Services Committee heard hours of testimony and voted to report HB 687 to the floor. Sponsor Rep. Bill Mercer said the change reflects shifting workforce patterns; AARP Montana, policy groups and Medicaid enrollees urged a ‘do not pass.’
Representative Bill Mercer introduced House Bill 687 to the House Health and Human Services Committee, proposing to raise the upper age for Medicaid expansion community‑engagement work requirements from 55 to 62.
“55 just doesn't seem appropriate to cap the work requirement,” Mercer said in his opening, arguing many Montanans work well into their 60s and 70s and that federal policy changes could make a higher ceiling necessary.
Opponents questioned the policy during the public testimony period. Kristin Page Nye of AARP Montana testified the current standards protect ‘‘sandwich‑generation’’ caregivers and people who face barriers to reentering the workforce; she urged the committee to oppose the bill. Heather O’Loughlin of the Montana Budget and Policy Center and Margie McDonald of Big Sky 55 Plus echoed concerns about age discrimination and noted some states set lower age thresholds for comparable work‑requirements. Chet Phillips, an expansion enrollee and single father, said he depends on Medicaid to keep his family afloat and asked members to ‘‘vote no on HB 687.’’
Committee members pressed the sponsor and a DPHHS informational witness for demographic and eligibility details. Mercer cited the enrollment universe for expansion (about 90,595 people) and said roughly 14,474 participants are aged 50–59 while roughly 9,394 are 60 or older; he acknowledged the department’s data lacks finer breakdowns (for example, counts above and below the current 55‑year cutoff). Mercer also pointed to statutory exemptions—primary caregivers and full‑time students among them—as built‑in ‘‘off ramps’’ from community‑engagement requirements.
Representatives asked whether caregiving tasks such as babysitting grandchildren would meet community‑engagement requirements; Mercer said community service, volunteer opportunities or other work‑readiness activities can qualify, and DPHHS said certain caregiving roles are exempt but could not classify every hypothetical on the spot.
After questioning and closing remarks, the committee took executive action and reported HB 687 to the floor for further consideration.
What happens next: HB 687 was reported out of committee and will be scheduled for floor action. The committee record shows extensive testimony opposing the change and several members pressing for additional data or clarifications about exemptions and implementation before final passage.
Sources: Sponsor remarks and testimony from Kristin Page Nye (AARP Montana), Heather O’Loughlin (Montana Budget and Policy Center), Margie McDonald (Big Sky 55 Plus), Chet Phillips (Medicaid enrollee), and DPHHS administrator Chappelle Smith, as recorded in the committee transcript.
