Medicaid expansion in Montana provided insurance coverage to 77,000 additional residents and lowered hospital charity care rates. However, the expanded program also took a toll on hospital finances as Medicaid reimbursement rates fell below the cost of care, according to the report.
“With reimbursement from Medicare, Medicaid and some managed care plans falling below the cost to deliver care, cost-shifting and the reliance on other revenue streams become more acute,” Montana Hospital Association CEO Dick Brown told the Daily Interlake.
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