Health care

Laurel residents have been raising concerns about city and state transparency in selecting Laurel for a new facility that would treat criminal defendants before they stand trial. What’s required of the government when it comes to public input isn’t straightforward.

Recent data show around 4,000 fewer Montanans purchased an Affordable Care Act health plan in 2026, a roughly 5% decline. That decline is attributed to the loss of federal subsidies for monthly premiums. More people are expected to drop coverage.

A federal investigation found “systemic” problems in a Helena hospital that resulted in sexual abuse allegations against employees going undocumented for weeks or months. That’s according to new reporting from Montana Free Press on St. Peter’s Health in Helena. MTPR’s Austin Amestoy sat down with Montana Free Press reporter Mara Silvers to learn more, and spoke with St. Peter’s Health CEO Wade Johnson for the hospital’s response.

Some Laurel residents don’t like the state’s plan to build a psychiatric hospital near town. The backlash came quickly after state officials announced the site location.

A program aiming to keep Montana’s ambulance services financially afloat is in jeopardy, as federal health officials say the state can’t implement the program. Rural ambulance providers could close if it fails.

Montanans have until Wednesday to enroll in a federal marketplace health insurance plan. Federal subsidies have expired and many Montanans will see their premiums more than double as a result, according to KFF, a nonpartisan health research group.

Mobile crisis teams are struggling. These are the teams of mental health professionals that respond to behavioral health calls instead of police. Those programs don’t have reliable funding, and the teams that remain say they need help.

Federal officials have reduced the number of vaccines recommended for children. Some state medical groups say they will continue to follow the old guidelines. Parents will need to talk to their doctor to get the shots that are no longer recommended for all children.

Permitting for fast-tracked mining project in the Bitterroot moves forward; Trump AI order could undercut state regulations; Health Department applies for federal recertification of Montana State Hospital.

Earlier this year, federal lawmakers created a $50 billion program to support rural health care. It came as a result over concerns that cuts to Medicaid will shutter many rural hospitals across the nation.