Montana Individual and Family Health Insurance

Obtain a good Montana health insurance plan in any city, including the metropolitan areas of Billings, Missoula, Great Falls, Bozeman, Butte-Silver Bowl, Helena, Kalispell, Havre, Miles City, and the Anaconda-Deer Lodge County.

The State of Affairs of Montana’s Health Insurance

In 2004, the total health care expenditure in the state of Montana was $4.7 billion dollars, in which the greatest percentage was spent on hospital care, physician and professional services. With healthcare costs growing at an annual percentage of about 7%, it is imperative for Montanans to have healthcare coverage.

The Treasure State has over 931,000 residents. About 26% of the population has Medicaid and/or Medicare coverage. And about 48% or 448,000 have Montana health insurance coverage provided by employers, with an average premium of $580 for single coverage and $2,767 for family health insurance coverage.

Fortunately, it is possible to obtain lower Montana health insurance premiums on the individual market rather than through employers.  Whether you are employed and looking for more affordable health insurance, or seeking self-employed health insurance, the first step is to allow InsureMonkey, your premier health insurance agent, to help!

Montana Health Insurance Providers

Montana’s High Risk Pool

In Montana, a high-risk pool program was created in 1987 to provide assistance to residents who have a history of medical problems. These residents usually have the capacity to pay Montana individual health insurance premiums, but private companies deny their applications because of their pre-existing conditions.

The high-risk pool in Montana is called the MCHA or the Montana Comprehensive Health Association. The health plans of the more than 3,600 Montanans enrolled in MCHA are administered by the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana.

There are various Montana health plans offered by the MCHA. To determine your eligibility and for comprehensive information about premium rates and application procedures, call the toll-free number 1-800-447-7828 or visit the website at http://www.mthealth.org/.


Montana’s Uninsured

According to the 2006-2007 survey conducted by the Urban Institute and the Kaiser Commission, the total number of uninsured Montanans totaled 153,000. About 21% of this population, or 32,000, are uninsured children. 

Approximately 85% of the uninsured Montanans belong to a family who has at least one member working full-time or part-time. This implies that the employer-based Montana health insurance coverage is either unavailable or unaffordable. For example, small business health insurance may not offer health insurance for their employees because of the prohibitively expensive premiums.

Thankfully, affordable health insurance plans are available in the State of Montana, for both individual and family health insurance plans.  InsureMonkey was created to specifically help Montanans in finding a health insurance plan that would meet their healthcare needs. With free quotes, InsureMonkey helps you easily compare various Montana individual health insurance plans.


Montana SCHIP

The CHIP or Children’s Health Insurance Plan is Montana’s low-cost health insurance plan for uninsured children younger than 19 years old. Partnering with the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana, the CHIP provides comprehensive coverage that includes dental services, hearing exams, and prescription drugs.

Eligibility for CHIP coverage must meet income requirements. The parents of the eligible children must have a total household income that falls between 100% and 175% of the Federal Poverty Level as of January 2009. This translates to an annual income between $17,600 and $30,800. The Department of Public Health and Human Services reported that, as of February 2009, Montana’s CHIP has provided insurance for 17,480 children.

For more information, please contact the Montana CHIP Family Health Line at 877-543-7669 or visit the website at http://chip.mt.gov/. Application forms can be obtained by calling 1-877-543-7669 or by downloading from http://chip.mt.gov/applicationinstructions.shtml.


Medicaid in Montana

The State’s Department of Public Health and Human Services administers the Medicaid program in Montana. Medicaid is joint program of the State government (which pays one-third of the medical costs) and the Federal government (which pays the rest) for the medically needy and low-income people in Montana.

The State of Montana has tailored its Medicaid program so that eligibility is met only when a person fits into one or more these categories:

1.    Pregnant women
2.    Families with dependent children
3.    Elderly or residents aged 65 and older
4.    Children or residents aged 18 and younger
5.    People who are considered to have disabilities based on the criteria established by Social Security

There are also income eligibility requirements:

•    Children
      o    Infants Ages 0-1:  $23,408 or 133% of the Federal Poverty Level as of January 2009
      o    Children Ages 1-5:  $23,408 or 133% of the Federal Poverty Level as of January 2009
      o    Children Ages 6-19:  $17,600 or 100% of the Federal Poverty Level as of January 2009
•    Parents
      o    Non-Working:  $5,892 or 33% of the Federal Poverty Level as of January 2009
      o    Working:  $10,248 or 58% of the Federal Poverty Level as of January 2009
•    Women
      o    Pregnant women: $26,400 or 150% of the Federal Poverty Level as of January 2009
      o    Women with breast and/or cervical cancer/pre-cancer: 200% of the Federal Poverty Level as of January 2009

For more information about eligibility please contact the local Office of Public Assistance. To apply for Medicaid, please get in touch with the Montana Citizen’s Advocate Office at 800-332-2272. The toll-free Medicaid Help Line for current Medicaid clients is 800-362-8312.

(Facts throughout this page provided by the Kaiser Family Foundation at www.statehealthfacts.org and by The New Health Insurance Solution at www.tnhis.com.  Commentary provided by InsureMonkey.)

State Resources

Montana Citizens Advocate Office
Website: http://citizensadvocate.mt.gov/
Phone: 800-332-2272

Department of Public Health and Human Services
Website: http://www.dphhs.mt.gov/
Phone: 444-5622

Comprehensive Health Association
Phone: 1-800-447-7828

Department of Insurance
Website: http://sao.state.mt.us/
Phone: 800-332-6148

Governor Brian Schweitzer
Website: http://governor.mt.gov/
Phone: (406) 444-3111

Senator Roy Brown
Chair, Public Health, Welfare and Safety Committee
Phone: (406)252-5554
Email: brown.roy@bresnan.net

Rep. Arlene Becker
Chair, Human Services Committee of the Montana House of Representatives
Phone: (406) 245-7256
Email: arlene_becker@bresnan.net