Medicaid Work Requirements in Montana

Check your situation in Montana

When it starts in Montana

• July 1, 2026: the requirement began for new applications.
• August 31, 2026: the first redeterminations that had to meet the requirement. Cases from July through September 2026 were reviewed without denial.
• October 2026: people who do not meet the requirement may be denied coverage or disenrolled.
• January 1, 2027: 6-month redeterminations begin.

Who has to meet it

The rule applies to people ages 19 to 64 in the Medicaid adult expansion group, unless they are pregnant, have Medicare, or are exempt. You meet it in a month with 80 hours of work, community service, a work program, or school (in any mix), by going to school at least half-time, or with at least $580 in monthly income.

You are exempt if, for example, you care for a child 13 or younger or a person with a disability, are pregnant or postpartum, are American Indian or Alaska Native, are medically frail, are a veteran with a 100% disability rating, were in foster care at 18 and are under 26, are in drug or alcohol treatment, meet SNAP or TANF work rules, or left jail or prison in the last 3 months. See the full exemption list.

How Montana checks and how to report

Months checked: Applicants: the month before applying. At redetermination: 3 months (not necessarily in a row) of the review period.

Report online at apply.mt.gov, by phone through the Public Assistance Helpline, by mail to Human and Community Services Division, P.O. Box 202925, Helena, MT 59602-2925, or at a local Office of Public Assistance. DPHHS publishes a verification matrix listing accepted documents.

Other things to know in Montana

• DPHHS says it will first try to verify you "ex parte" using data it already has.
• About 74,000 Montanans ages 19 to 64 were in Medicaid Expansion as of March 2026 (Montana Free Press).

Official tools and contacts

• Report and upload: apply.mt.gov
• Public Assistance Helpline (applications, changes, reporting): 1-888-706-1535
• DPHHS: changes to Medicaid
• DPHHS: FAQ
• DPHHS: verification matrix
• Agency: Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS)

Federal protections that apply in Montana

• The state must check its own records before asking you for proof.
• If it can't confirm you meet the rule, you get a notice and at least 30 days to respond, and your coverage continues meanwhile.
• You get written notice and the right to a fair hearing before coverage ends, and you can reapply at any time.
• If you lose Medicaid for not meeting the rule, you cannot get marketplace premium tax credits for those months. Learn more.