PRESENTATIONS AND PAPERS

The expansion of Medicaid to cover adults with incomes up to 138% of the poverty line took effect in Montana in the beginning of 2016. The impacts of the program have been profound. The number of Montanans covered by either Medicaid (traditional and expanded) or the Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHiP) statewide in February of 2023 was 179,591 higher than a decade earlier, with the percentage of the population not covered by health insurance cut in half as well. Health care spending by previously uninsured Montanans has increased, both from increased consumption of health care and from shifts from previously uncompensated care (whose costs were borne by providers and other paying consumers) to care paid for by the program. Based on national studies, there is solid evidence that better health care outcomes, less financial stress, and better labor market participation have occurred for low-income Montana households as well.

This is a study of the activities and the economic contributions of what has arguably been one the most important and most visible industries during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic: the Montana bioscience industry. Across the entire state, the manufacturers, research laboratories, medical facilities and equipment wholesalers who jointly comprise this important segment of the state economy have been an important source of economic growth and vitality. By drawing on both publicly available data as well as survey responses from Montana bioscience companies, this report presents a comprehensive picture of the industry?s activities and how those activities support the economy as a whole.

The expansion of Medicaid to cover adults with incomes up to 138% of the poverty line took effect in Montana in the beginning of 2016. The impacts of the program have been profound. The number of Montanans covered by either Medicaid (traditional and expanded) or the Children?s Health Insurance Program (CHiP) statewide in February of 2023 was 179,591 higher than a decade earlier, with the percentage of the population not covered by health insurance cut in half as well. Health care spending by previously uninsured Montanans has increased, both from increased consumption of health care and from shifts from previously uncompensated care (whose costs were borne by providers and other paying consumers) to care paid for by the program. Based on national studies, there is solid evidence that better health care outcomes, less financial stress, and better labor market participation have occurred for low-income Montana households as well. This report summarizes the results of an analysis that applies the same methods used in the BBER?s statewide studies on the economic impacts of Medicaid expansion in Montana to develop estimates of impacts for Cascade County, the third largest health care cluster in the state.

Benefis Health System, a nonprofit independent health care system based in Great Falls, has an extensive economic and health care footprint in the north central region of Montana and beyond. It has recently moved ahead with plans to extend its physical presence to Helena with investments in urgent care, medical imaging, and outpatient surgical facilities. Those new investments, collectively referred to as Benefis Helena in this report, are expected to increase the health care capacity of Lewis and Clark County and the adjacent regions, especially regarding access to specialized care. They also will contribute to job growth, income growth, and population growth as a result.

Farming and Ranching: Navigating Another Drought By George Haynes and Kate Fuller
Forest Products: COVID-19 Hangover Impacts Wood Products By Steven Hayes and Todd A. Morgan
Energy Montana's Energy and Minerals Future By Bill Whitsitt
Manufacturing: Shipping and Supply Chain Are Big Concerns By Robert Sonora
Travel, Tourism and Recreation: Staffing Shortages Cause Concern By Jeremy Sage
Health Care: COVID-19 Drives Exodus of Health Care Workers By Robert Sonora
Real Estate and Construction: Boom or Bubble? By Derek Sheehan
Transportation and Logistics: The Roller Coaster Ride Continues By Simona Stan
Technology and Innovation: Pandemic Has Not Slowed Montana's Growing Tech Sector By Christina Quick Henderson

This is a study of how the construction and successful operation of a four-year graduate medical school located in Great Falls, Montana would affect the economy of the state and its regions. The proposed Montana Osteopathic Medical School (MMS) is a new, privately funded, not-for-profit school that would be the first of its kind in Montana. Our basic finding is that the construction and operation of the Montana Medical School would be a major economic event. The nature and magnitude of the jobs, income, and sales that can be expected to occur in the coming years due to the presence of MMS in the economy evolves over time as the project moves through the phases of construction and operation, and as a fraction of the graduates of the school begin their careers within our state. But the impacts add substantially in all phases to output, employment, income and sales across Montana.

This is a study of the contributions made to the economy of the state of Montana by the production, employment, spending and tax revenues that can be attributed to 58 of the state's hospitals. Hospitals' high paying jobs, high value-added production, and significant tax payments add to the state economy in their own right. As the dollars paid to employees, vendors and governments are in turn respent in the economy, their ultimate significance grows. The Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER) at the University of Montana was retained by the Montana Hospital Association (MHA) to carry out an analysis how Montana hospitals enhance the state's economy. This report summarizes and documents the results. Our basic finding is that Montana hospitals generate considerable economic prosperity, not only for the communities in which they are located, but for the state as a whole. In addition to providing the overall state economic impact, we also report the impacts of 58 individual hospitals across the state.

Food banks have been facing steep challenges in distributing food to a record number of people who fell into poverty and food insecurity due to the nationwide lockdown.

Montana's health centers contribute a sizable, ongoing and permanent impact on the state's economy. Spending, demand and an aging population are spurring growth.

How COVID-19 Has Reshaped the Economy - What Changes Are Here to Stay? A Life-Or-Death Moment for Cities - New York and Other Metropolises Must Protect Themselves From pandemics or Our Future Will Be Far Less Urban The State of Manufacturing in Montana - Manufacturing Growth Stalls Due to COVID-19

Farming and Ranching - A Year of Volatile Commodity Prices and Near-Record Stimulus Payments Forest Products - Montana Wood Products in the Time of COVID-19 Energy - The COVID-19 Recession Impacts Prices Manufacturing - Continued Growth Is Interrupted by the Pandemic Travel, Tourism and Recreation - Crowds Flock To Montana During COVID Summer Transportation and Logistics - 2020 Was a Year of Disruption Health Care - COVID-19 Alters Health Care Landscape Technology and Innovation - Remote Work, Zoom Towns and a Spotlight on Biotech Real Estate and Construction - The Seller's Market Continues

From January through April of 2020 University of Montana?s Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER) conducted a survey to examine the economic impact inadequate child care has on Montana parents, employers and taxpayers. The survey was paid for by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. The survey randomly sampled Montana households with children ages 0-5. BBERcollected data from 404 Montana households. The responses are weighted so the results reflect the statewide population of households with children ages 0-5. Most respondents replied prior to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Montana. Responses received after the pandemic were not substantially different than those received before the pandemic. The survey found: 1. 57% of households reported that finding affordable child care is a challenge 2. 46% of respondents left work early in the past month due to inadequate child care 3. 44% of respondents missed a full day of work in the past month due to inadequate child care

The unprecedented declines in economic activity due to the pandemic have not spared Montana.

As states reopen their businesses, what does the future hold for jobs and the economy?

More than 1.5 million youth in the United States experienced homelessness during the 2017-18 school year. It?s the highest number recorded in over 10 years.

Financial markets have been interrupted and workers are being furloughed. When can we expect a recession?

This article looks at nine of Montana's key industries; Farming and Ranching: Price Declines and Exports Make for a Challenging Year, Forest Products: Positive Signs for Montana, Energy: What to Watch for in 2020, Manufacturing: Montana Outpaces Nation as a Whole, Travel, Tourism and Recreation: Nonresident Visitation Stable, Health Care: The Impact of Medicaid Expansion, Transportation and Logistics: A Shortage of Drivers Continues to Cause Concern, Technology and Innovation: Record Revenue, Jobs and Venture Capital Investment, Real Estate and Construction: Housing Markets Lack Inventory.

Medicaid expansion has provided nearly $1.4 billion of health care to beneficiaries during its first two and half years.

Medicaid expansion has a substantial effect on Montana's economy. Assuming that enrollment plateaus near current levels, Medicaid expansion will introduce approximately $350 million to $400 million of new spending to Montana's economy each year. This spending ripples through Montana's economy, generating approximately 5,000 jobs and $270 million in personal income in each year between 2018 and 2020. In addition to generating economic activity, Medicaid expansion appears to improve outcomes for Montanans?reducing crime, improving health, and lowering debt. While the state pays a nominal amount for these benefits, the costs to the state budget are more than offset by the savings created by Medicaid expansion and by the revenues associated with increased economic activity.

Medicaid expansion in Montana generates several thousand additional jobs and several hundred million dollars in additional income. It also pays for itself and grows the economy.

The 2017 Economic Outlook Seminar covered a wide range of sectors and topics from job growth to energy and tourism. In this round table discussion, we highlight some of those topics and industries in an effort to better understand the state?s economic climate.

This report explores the contribution of health care to Flathead County?s economy. Specifically, we investigate how health care contributes by addressing eight questions: 1) What is health care?; 2) What is health care in Flathead County?; 3) How does one evaluate the contribution of an industry to a regional economy?; 4) How valuable is health care?; 5) Is Flathead County?s health care sector efficient?; 6) If Flathead County?s health care sector disappeared, what would happen to Flathead County?s economy?; 7) How large is the traded component of Flathead County?s health care sector?; 8) What does the future hold for health care in Flathead County?

During the past few years, Montana families and children have experienced a range of positive developments, but these improvements have not changed existing disparity gaps. Montana ranks 24th out of 50 states in child well-being.

A wide-ranging discussion covering economic topics of interest. The discussions include: the Economy, Healthcare, Tourism and Recreation, Agriculture, Manufacturing, Forest Products, Housing, and Energy. A panel of industry experts and economists provide their responses to important questions regarding Montana?s economy.

Need help signing up for insurance in the Montana health insurance marketplace? Picking a health insurance plan can be a complicated process, and navigators can help individuals and small businesses compare health insurance options.

Bureau of Business and Economic Research's Annual report for fiscal 2012 - 2013 details the activities and finances for the year. Each of the BBER's programs are reviewed and various research projects and publications are highlighted.

One of the more visible changes soon to be brought to the forefront by passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is the health insurance exchange, or marketplace. More than 350,000 Montanans may have some change in health insurance as a result of the ACA, although not all will enter the marketplace.

Nothing short of a revolution is sweeping across hospitals as they prepare to cope with the largest changes in health care regulation and finance since Medicare.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) will change the way Montanans use the health care delivery system. According to American Community Survey three-year estimates, approximately 172,000 Montanans are uninsured. As the uninsured gain access to health care coverage, their utilization of the health care system will change. Particularly for primary care, can Montana's existing primary care workforce accommodate the increase in demand that will follow the newly insured in Montana?

Q & A with Bureau economists and industry experts throughout the state about the latest economic trends and forecasts, as well as the outlook for Montana's important sectors.

Spending for working-age populations with disabilities is increasing faster than gross domestic product. The return on investment for tax dollars spent on the Montana Vocational Rehabilitation Program for those successfully rehabilitated is positive.

The dynamics behind the expansion of the Medicaid program and its impact on state budgets is a topic of considerable controversy and differences of opinion. There are many moving parts to Medicaid, and no study to date has incorporated all aspects of the Medicaid expansion.

The 2011 national high school graduation rate was 75 percent. The remaining 25 percent, about 1.2 million high school seniors across the country, did not attain a high school diploma.

There are more than 36 million people with a disability in the United States, accounting for almost 12 percent of the total civilian non-institutionalized population. In Montana, the proportion with a disability is greater. Thirteen percent (125,302) of the civilian non-institutionalized population in Montana has a disability. Working age adults with a disability, those 18-64 years of age, comprise over half of the disabled population in Montana and nearly 11 percent of all working adults in this age group. With continued increases in the cost of health care and an increase in the number of working-age Montanans with disabilities as a result of the aging baby boom generation, the federal and state share of spending to support this population represents a large and faster growing share of all federal and state expenditures. The aging of the baby boom generation is expected to contribute to growth in Social Security Disability Insurance awards for at least another decade. In Montana, federal government payments for Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income alone totaled more than $469 million in 2010, up 5 percent from 2009, and almost 10 percent from 2008.

This article will help you LOOK at the care you get and understand what good care for patients who are leaving the hospital looks like, help you LEARN what you can do to make sure you get the best possible care, and help you LIVE better by taking action to get better care.

Over the next decade, the Affordable Care Act transforms the health care landscape each year as new provisions take effect. This year, several provisions affect Medicare.

This evaluation of Montana's SPF SIG project on alcohol abuse focuses on data driven analysis of a) outcomes and b) the process or steps in the implementation of community-based strategies and interventions. Ultimately, outcomes are based on a reduction in binge drinking behavior with an emphasis on underage binge drinking and drinking and driving.

Understanding the role public health care dollars play in a state's economy is important, and particularly so for Montana, which has more baby boomers and veterans per capita than the rest of the nation. And both of these groups rely on public funding for their health care needs.

The downturn in national and state economies has put more Montanans in jeopardy as jobs are lost and incomes fall. Community Health Centers offer a comprehensive array of primary health care services to medically underserved and disadvantaged populations. For many Montanans, they provide a safety net for health care services they could't afford anywhere else.

One could expect that households of equal size, comparable health, and identical incomes should face the same financial obligations in purchasing comparable health care insurance. However, households of identical family size and incomes will face vastly different incentives under the subsidy and cost-share programs approved by the House and signed into law by the President.

Despite nearly two and half years of recession, fewer Montanans are uninsured today than in 2000. And for single coverage in the job-based insurance market, employers seem to be absorbing more of the health insurance costs today than in 2000.

Alcohol taxes increase beverage prices and thus influence drinking among teens and adults. Higher taxes and prices have the potential to reduce alcohol abuse and traffic fatalities and injuries. This study examines alcohol taxes and beverage prices in Montana in relation to these issues.

The new health care legislation is slated to change the health care marketplace gradually through numerous provisions. Three of these provisions are already out of the starting gate: tax credits for small employers offering health insurance to their employees; the closing of the 'donut hole' for Medicare Part D enrollees; and the creation of a state high-risk pool for individuals who have been without health care insurance for at least six months.

One group that is large in number and a frequent user of health care is women. Compared to men, women are more likely to be raising children alone, have lower incomes and hence more likely to be on Medicaid, and have higher rates of chronic illnesses. Women are also more likely to use community health centers and other government programs that provide health services to low-income individuals. Improving the health of all population groups is vital if we are to succeed in changing the current unsustainable path of health care spending.

The economic cost of alcohol abuse in Montana impacts all parts of the economy and is estimated to cost the state $511 million dollars per year. In Montana, an average of 1,700 people are injured in alcohol crashes each year. Bodily harm and life threatening injuries from alcohol related injury crashes account for over 10% of all vehicle crashes in the state, but 20% of all vehicle crashes with injuries in the state.

Ever wondered if that hospital room will be quiet, or if the bathroom will be clean, or if your pain will be managed up to your expectations? These and many other measures are available, by hospital, for consumers expecting a hospitalization.

During the 1920s there was a running joke. There are two classes of people in hospitals: those who entered poor and those who leave poor. Five years later private health care insurance emerged. Today, particularly for those without health insurance, the problems remain the same.

In 2006, the American College of Physicians warned that primary care, the backbone of the nation's health care system, was on the verge of collapse. Primary care providers are vitally important to Montana and without access to them the health of the state's population could be compromised. Gregg Davis, Tom Roberts, and Lawrence L. White Jr. argue that a future in Montana without primary care providers is not an option.

In polls across the country, fixing health care is right up there with fixing the economy. Emotions are high on both sides of the health care debate. The issues driving health care reform are basically twofold: access to health care for the uninsured and cost. Reform of some shape will have to occur because our present health care cost projectory is unsustainable. Exactly when and what shape that reform takes we'll have to see.

This press release announces the hiring of Gregg Davis as the director of health care industry research. Davis will examine the state's health care markets, trends, and other high visibility topics.

Montana recently joined 29 other states by having regulations in place for insurers to offer long-term care insurance partnership plans. New partnership laws encourage individuals to purchase long-term health insurance, thereby protecting assets and reducing the burden on Medicaid. This article discusses the situation of newly-retired Bob Smith, who has just suffered a massive stroke and does not have long-term care health insurance.

Nearly 47,000 Montanans identify themselves as having pre-existing health conditions that limit their ability to either buy insurance or switch health insurance carriers, and some say this restricts their job flexibility. Because of pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, heart conditions, and even pregnancy, a significant number of Montanans feel that they need to stay in their current jobs and health care situation.

Expectations of significant reform to health care are higher today than at any time since the first Clinton administration. But if curing the ills of our health care system were easy, it would be done by now. Finding the consensus - and the money - that is needed to changes to the structure of health care delivery and finance remains, as always, an obstacle to change.

Montana's uninsured rate for children is one of the highest in the country. Children without regular health care are at a developmental, social, and educational disadvantage. Insuring more Montana children offers a positive economic payback of more than $2.50 to Montanans for every state $1 expanded, a rate of return that complements other positive impacts of more health investments in the state's children.

American Indian infants in the Rocky Mountains and on the Northern Plains die more frequently than white infants in the region, making infant death one of the major health problems facing tribes and urban Indians in the area. Health statistics are readily available in practically every area for whites in the region but are lacking within the American Indian community. Without this data, existing disparities cannot be addressed.

Reining in health care spending, while also improving access to care for those who cannot financially or physically access it, is a tall order for policy reforms to fill, yet evidence suggests headway can be made. Health care policy must remove cost as a barrier to receiving necessary care and increase the efficiency and efficacy of care in order to bring cost growth under control.

No matter where you live, health care isn't just another item on the shopping list. We don't consider it a luxury, yet we often pay what seems like a very luxurious price for it. It's that way all over the country, and everyone, it seems, has his or her favorite solution to the problem. Understanding which solutions can help and which might make problems worse is what health care data gathering and careful research should be helping us sort out for Montana.

Health care spending the in the United Sates continues to have a major impact on the national economy. Even with the increase in spending, 18 percent of Americans under age 65 do not have any health insurance. The lack of federal level reform has lead many states to enact changes to control the level of spending. Montana has made several incremental changes to address the rate of uninsured in the state. However, despite Montana's strong economic growth, the prospect of improvement in the state's uninsured rate is not strong.

Montana has one of the highest rates (19 percent) of uninsured residents in the nation. Most people get health insurance through their employers, yet three out of four Montanans without insurance coverage were, in fact, employed. The 2006 Montana Employer Survey was a random telephone survey conducted in an attempt to fill in major gaps in the state?s knowledge of its uninsured population. This article reports the survey findings.