House defeats partial Medicaid-expansion bill

The Hi-Line delegation:

Rep. Stephanie Hess, R-Havre, Rep. Bruce Meters, R-Box Elder, Rep. Mike Long, R-Malta, voted for the patrial bill.

Rep. Roy Hollandsworth, R-Brady, voted yes.

HELENA (AP) — The House of Representatives has narrowly rejected a measure that would expand Medicaid to about 10,000 people.

Members voted 51-49 to kill House Bill 455 on second reading Friday.

Sponsored by Republican Rep. Nancy Ballance of Hamilton, the bill would expand Medicaid eligibility to some veterans and low-income parents. It also includes funding for about 800 people with disabilities who qualify for services but sometimes wait years to receive them.

Ballance said her bill is a backup plan in case the Republican-led Legislature does not pass a full expansion bill.

The governor's bill to expand Medicaid to 70,000 low-income Montanans was defeated earlier this month. Another bill introduced this week to fully expand Medicaid has its first hearing in committee Friday afternoon.