Montana Initiative No. 155, Expand Child Health Insurance Coverage Measure (2008)

Montana Initiative 155
Election date November 4, 2008
Topic Private health insurance and Public health insurance
Status Approved
Type Initiated state statute	Origin Citizens

Montana Initiative 155 was on the ballot as an initiated state statute in Montana on November 4, 2008. It was approved.

A "yes" vote supported establishing the Healthy Montana Kids Plan, which expanded coverage for uninsured children under the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), the Montana Medicaid Program, and employer-sponsored health insurance.

A "no" vote opposed establishing the Healthy Montana Kids Plan, which expanded coverage for uninsured children under the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), the Montana Medicaid Program, and employer-sponsored health insurance.

Election results

Montana Initiative 155
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		329,289	69.91%
No		141,701	30.09%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Initiative 155 was as follows:

“

A LAW PROPOSED BY INITIATIVE PETITION I-155 establishes the Healthy Montana Kids plan to expand and coordinate health coverage for uninsured children under the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), the Montana Medicaid Program, and employer-sponsored health insurance. The State Health Department may: raise income eligibility levels for children under CHIP and Medicaid; simplify transitions between CHIP and Medicaid coverage; provide assistance for children in employer-sponsored insurance; and work with health care providers, schools, organizations, and agencies to encourage enrollment of uninsured children. Funding for I-155 will come from a share of the insurance premium tax and federal matching funds. I-155 costs an estimated $22 million of state funds, paid from the treasury with a share of current revenues from the insurance premium tax. Actual expenditures will depend on other factors, including the amount of federal matching dollars and enrollment. [ ] FOR expanding CHIP and Medicaid eligibility for uninsured children, coordinating children’s health coverage, and encouraging enrollment of eligible children. [ ] AGAINST expanding CHIP and Medicaid eligibility for uninsured children, coordinating children’s health coverage, and encouraging enrollment of eligible children.

”

Full Text

The full text of this measure is available here.

Support

Supporters

Officials

• State Sen. Carol Williams (D)
• State Auditor John Morrison (Nonpartisan)

Arguments

• State Auditor John Morrison (D), State Senator Carol Williams (D), and Dr. Pat Cobb: "The Healthy Montana Kids Plan will: Provide comprehensive health coverage to the 30,000 uninsured Montana children who live in families that make up to about $50,000 per year. Increase eligibility for the Children's Health Insurance Program and children's coverage under Montana's Medicaid program. Create a new brand for children’s health care services called the Healthy Montana Kids Plan that embraces CHIP and Medicaid for children, eliminating any stigma associated with these older public programs. Allow eligible kids to be placed on a parent's employer-sponsored plan, saving the state money and covering more kids. Create an 'active enrollment' process that works with hospitals, schools and others to enroll all eligible uninsured children."

Opposition

Opponents

Officials

• State Sen. John Esp (R)
• State Sen. Jim Shockley (R)
• State Rep. John Sinrud

Arguments

• State Senator John Esp (R), State Representative John Sinrud (R), and State Senator Jim Shockley (R): "During these unstable economic times, a large increase in the CHIP program is not fiscally responsible. Until recently the State had vacancies for CHIP and had to advertise for children to join the program. Children are defined in law as people 19 years of age, or younger, but a waiver can allow 'children' up to 25 years of age to receive the benefit. The Governor’s budget office assumes that 80% of the new enrollees to this program will be from families that drop private insurance to participate in the new programs. According to the Department of Revenue this initiative will make over 127,000 Montanans eligible for this benefit, an increase from 90,000 at the present time. A family of four can earn somewhere between $52,000 and $60,000 per year and still have eligible children."

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

Montana Initiative 155, Expand Child Health Insurance Coverage Measure (2008)

Poll	Dates	Sample size	Margin of error	Support	Oppose	Undecided
Mountain State University Billings Question "Ballot Initiative 155 would allow expanded health care coverage for uninsured children under the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), the Montana Medicaid Program and employer-sponsored health insurance. The State Health Department may raise income eligibility limits for children covered by CHIP and Medicaid, help children with employer sponsored insurance and work to encourage the enrollment of uninsured children in CHIP. Funding for this program will come from a combination of state and federal funds. If the CHIP election were held today would you vote for or against this Initiative?"	Oct. 16, 2008–Oct. 20, 2008	403 LV	± 5.00%	73.4%	18.8%	7.8%
Note: LV is likely voters, RV is registered voters, and EV is eligible voters.

Path to the ballot

See also: Laws governing the initiative process in Montana

An initiated state statute is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that amends state statute. There are 21 states that allow citizens to initiate state statutes, including 14 that provide for direct initiatives and nine (9) that provide for indirect initiatives (two provide for both). An indirect initiated state statute goes to the legislature after a successful signature drive. The legislatures in these states have the option of approving the initiative itself, rather than the initiative appearing on the ballot.

In Montana, the number of signatures required for an initiated state statute is equal to 5% of the votes cast in the last gubernatorial election. Montana also has a distribution requirement that requires proponents to collect signatures equal to 5% of the qualified electors in each of one-third (34) of the state's 100 legislative districts. A simple majority vote is required for voter approval.

State Auditor John Morrison drafted I-155. Jonathan Motl filed the ballot initiative with the state. Supporters of I-155 filed 31,349 verified signatures for I-155.

See also

2008 Measures

• 2008 Measures
• Private health insurance on the ballot
• Public health insurance on the ballot
• 2008 legislative sessions

Montana

• Montana ballot measures
• Montana ballot measure laws

News and analysis

• Ballot measure lawsuits
• Ballot measure readability
• Ballot measure polls

External links

• Montana 2008 Ballot Issues