BBER PUBLICATIONS SEARCH RESULTS

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.

Where Housing is Headed: How Will Today's Imbalances Be Resolved? By Patrick M. Barkey
Montanans Struggle to Access Affordable Childcare: The Crisis of Montana's Workforce By Caitlin Jenson and Tracy McIntyre
The Financial Value of Montana's Natural Beauty: How Should We Measure Our Natural Capital? By Jakki Mohr and Carmen Thissen
Housing Trouble in Paradise: Housing Needs Demand Creative Solutions By Abigail St. Lawrence

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.

The lack of affordable housing has been an increasingly difficult problem for many Montana communities. A shortage of homes and stagnant incomes have widened the divide.

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

It?s no secret that child care can be costly and inadequate child care can contribute to a host of issues, including job selection, absenteeism and work performance. That can in turn can affect one?s earning potential, as well as the earning potential of employers and the greater state economy. Put it all together and Montana loses $232 million a year due to inadequate child care.

Home prices in Missoula have seen their largest jump in a decade, making it harder for residents to find affordable living situations.

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.

Montana persistently ranks in the top three states with the most youth who die by suicide ? and their method of choice is overwhelmingly firearms.

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.

Twenty-five years ago, the Family and Medical Leave Act was passed to help working families, but today the law is no longer adequate.

Montana's sexual minority youth have it rough, despite enormous strides in acceptance. Bullying in schools is a major problem. Sixty percent of LGBTQ students doubted they would graduate high school because of the hostile climate in their school.

In Montana today, 19 percent of children live in poverty, while 28 percent of parents lack secure employment. Affordable housing has become an important topic in cities like Missoula and Bozeman. But the issues surrounding poverty for Montana families have been long-standing, as seen in this excerpt from the Montana Business Quarterly in 1965.

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.

In the next 10 years, at least 130,000 working Montanans will retire. With an aging population, Montana''s labor force will only grow by 4,100 workers per year for the next 10 years (Wagner, 2015). Given current trends, there will simply not be enough workers to fill the projected annual job growth of 6,500 to continue to grow Montana''s economy. Montana must find strategies to increase labor force participation so businesses have the workers they need.

When Iris Owen found out she was pregnant with twins, she was thrilled- and then terrified. A certified public accountant at Anderson ZurMuehlen''s Missoula office, Owen didn''t know how she would be able to continue her career with not just one, but two infants. After the twins were born, Owen had a few health complications and took four months off to stay at home. "If I didn''t work for a company that was so supportive, I might not have gone back to work," she said. Now her girls are 18 months old, and the tax accountant has a flexible schedule, working more hours January through April (tax season) and three-quarters time during the rest of the year.

Research on the return on investment in high-quality early childhood education shows short- and long-term savings of between $4 and $12 for every dollar invested. Though the evidence is overwhelming, Montana is one of the only eight states that does not provide funding for preschool.

An Annie E. Casey Foundation report released today explains that the state should invest more in children''s early years, and high-quality preschool is vital.

While women now participate equally in the wage economy and earn a majority of all bachelor''s degrees, this has not led to financial equality. Women do not share equally in the economic well-being of the state.

Migration had dramatic impacts on Montana during the past two decades, affecting the total population, its distribution between rural and urban areas, and composition by age, including school-age populations.

How rich or poor are Americans? Where do they work, and what training do they have for their jobs? What languages do they speak? The American Community Survey is an ongoing survey that provides answers to questions like these and gives communities the current information they need to plan investments and services.

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.

In Montana, 34 percent of working families are low income, or have household incomes below the federal poverty threshold of $18,530 for a three-person household.

An increasing number of people in Montana are living on the financial edge, where even a small change in a family situation can cause an immediate plunge into poverty. Food insecurity and hunger issues affect many Montana families.

A fact sheet outlining key indicators of the well being of Montana's children, including data on birth rates, death rates, children in poverty and other important indicators.

Being an accomplished reader is one of the most important markers for future academic success. Many of our nation's children struggle to learn how to read and continue struggling until they graduate from high school (or drop out), barely literate. In fact, the current pool of qualified high school graduates is neither large enough nor skilled enough to supply our nation's workforce.

Though Montana finds itself on the periphery of the 'obesity epidemic', there is no denying that the trend is on an upward trajectory even here. In fact, national trends indicate that today's child population is on track to leading shorter, less healthy lives than their parents for the first time in recent history. However, children in our state are more active and less obese than the U.S. norm, and they spend less time in front of a TV and/or computer screen.

Over one-third of Montana children ages 0-5 have parents who have had to make last-minute changes in their child care arrangements and/or have had their work-life adversely affected by child care problems. Parents of young children make up a large sector of Montana's workforce, making child care and early education important economic and societal issues - not just insulated issues of the home. Early childhood programs and systems affect both the current and future workforce; involving business and community members is critical.

The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) needed information about citizens'' perceptions regarding seat belt use, child safety seat use, and possible laws governing their use. This information is one important component that will be used to inform MDT''s long-range planning process.

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.

Data show Montana youth drinking, using tobacco and illegal drugs, and drinking and driving at higher rates than the rest of the country. The two most prevalent substance abuse activities among Montana youth are binge drinking and smoking marijuana. While Montana youth aren't smoking cigarettes at a significantly higher rate than the rest of the country, smokeless tobacco use among all 8th, 10th and 12th graders is 7 percentage points higher than the national average. The authors report these and other finding from the 2007 Montana Kids Count such as family characteristics and demographics, social and economic status, health care and other factors affecting Montana children.

Research shows that the use of technology, such as the Internet, has positive impacts on health outcomes and academic performance; it also provides economic opportunity to young people and increases civic involvement in local communities. However, if a child lives in a low-income, rural household, his or her chances of getting online are diminished. In Montana, 34 percent of the state's children live in households earning $30,000 or less and most of the state is considered rural. With these factors combined, Montana must work hard to overcome a growing digital divide.

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.