Montana

How One State Plans to Use Federal Relief Money to Shore Up Child Care Options

Montana will leverage more than $31 million to establish grants for child care centers to increase pay, expand capacity and offset tuition rates.

Analysis: All 50 States Experience Historic Personal Income Growth in 2020

The rise in personal incomes nationwide is the biggest in 20 years, and because of the pandemic, can largely be attributed to unprecedented government assistance, according to a Pew report.

Getting a Prescription to Die Remains Tricky Even as Aid-in-Dying Bills Gain Momentum

Whether aid in dying is legal in Montana has been debated for over a decade now in the wake of a state Supreme Court decision.

The Boom in Out-of-State Telehealth Threatens In-State Providers

The pandemic has highlighted potential benefits with telehealth. But there have also been some unintended consequences as more people access care remotely.

Pandemic Drives Phone, Computer ‘Right-to-Repair’ Bills

Legislation in half the states would make it easier to fix phones and computers.

Push Is On for States to Ban Organ Transplant Discrimination

States are passing laws that would prevent people with Down syndrome, autism and other disabilities from being denied transplants solely because of their conditions.

Montana’s Health Policy MVP Takes Her Playbook on the Road

Marilyn Bartlett saved the state of Montana more than $30 million in three years by pegging hospital prices to a multiple of what Medicare pays. But she's finding the model she used in the state difficult to replicate elsewhere.

12 Million People to Lose Unemployment Benefits This Month When Federal Programs Expire

Federal safety net programs that have provided additional unemployment benefits for workers who lost their jobs during the coronavirus pandemic are set to end.

Rural Public Health Staff Strained by Covid Surge, Public Backlash

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Republicans Win in Montana, Missouri Governors' Races

Elsewhere, there were few surprises on election night with governors' contests. Eight incumbents were reelected, five of them Republicans. And a favored GOP candidate won in Utah.

11 Governors' Races Are On the Ballot. Here Are the Ones to Watch.

Only a couple of the races are considered highly contested this year, with a toss-up in Montana and a competitive race in Missouri between a GOP incumbent and a Democratic challenger.

Despite Pandemic Threat, Gubernatorial Hopefuls Avoid COVID Nitty-Gritty

Voters who are deciding the next occupant of their governor’s mansion are also effectively choosing the next leader of their state’s COVID-19 response.

Wildfires’ Toxic Air Leaves Damage Long After the Smoke Clears

Toxic air from fires has blanketed California and the Pacific Northwest for weeks now.

Covid Exodus Fills Vacation Towns With New Medical Pressures

As people stick around in posh destinations used to only dealing with tourist influxes for one season, some local leaders are worried about strains on medical facilities both for newcomers and longtime residents.

COVID Plans Put to Test as Firefighters Crowd Camps for Peak Wildfire Season

Any outbreak that ripples through a camp could easily sideline crews and spread the virus across multiple fires.

As Long Waits for Results Render Covid Tests ‘Useless,’ States Seek Workarounds

Montana is switching from using one of the nation's largest diagnostic testing companies to processing test results in Montana State University's lab, as well as contracting with a different private laboratory.

Montana Rodeo Goes On, Bucking Fears on Fort Peck Reservation

Members of a Native American tribe raised concerns about coronavirus spread at the Wolf Point Wild Horse Stampede. But it's gone on, with riders and audience members largely skipping masks.

Montana’s Tribal Nations Preserve COVID Restrictions To Preserve Their Cultures

Tribal leaders across the state say reservation shutdowns and stay-at-home orders will continue for now, as widespread, proactive testing for the virus on reservations gets underway.

Want to Test More People for Covid-19? Look At the Sewage

COMMENTARY | Wastewater surveillance can help communities increase their testing capabilities and better manage and monitor the COVID-19 pandemic.