Montana SNAP stats

Opinion: We face a looming crisis that threatens the very foundation of our state's health care system: the potential reduction or elimination of federal Medicaid funding.

In Montana, we pride ourselves on independence, fairness, and looking out for one another — especially when distances are long and resources are few. For Montanans with disabilities, one of the most important tools that makes those values real is Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Often overlooked, Section 504 is not a bureaucratic technicality. It is a civil rights promise — one that is now at risk.

At the Montana Abortion Access Program, we close gaps in abortion access so everyone can receive the abortion care they want, need and deserve. June 24 marked the fourth anniversary of the Dobbs decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade and the federal right to abortion. Since then, 13 states have passed total abortion bans, with an additional six banning abortion within the first trimester. We're grateful for the Montana Constitution's right to privacy, which continues to protect abortion, but we know firsthand that legal standing does not mean access. Since 2022, we've seen a surging need. Abortion is legal here, but how do people reach one of six clinics and afford care that ranges from $300 to $2,300, plus childcare, gas, lodging, and lost wages?