HELENA — Montana lawmakers have restored $30.5 million to the state health department’s budget, which experienced deep spending cuts last year.
Lee Newspapers of Montana reported Thursday that the state is restoring about $45.7 million of the $76 million that lawmakers slashed from agencies’ budgets during a special legislative session last year.
Gov. Steve Bullock’s budget director Dan Villa says part of the funding will restore cuts to Medicaid rates.
Targeted case management for children’s mental health and behavioral health also will receive some of the health department’s share of the restored money.
Hundreds of people came out to recent hearings where the state discussed which agencies would get funds returned.
Health department spokesman Jon Ebelt says the department used that information to decide what services to fund with the restored money.