As the director of Samaritan House, a homeless shelter and transitional housing provider in Kalispell, I have seen firsthand how access to healthcare can make the difference between recovery and relapse, between housing and homelessness, and, in some cases, between life and death. Our shelter program’s capacity includes beds for 32 individuals and four families, four individual veteran pods, and 14 transitional apartments for individuals.
Medicaid is not just a health insurance program — it’s a lifeline, especially in rural Montana. Here in the Flathead Valley, many of the people we serve are hardworking Montanans who’ve fallen on hard times: people recovering from serious illness or injury, individuals dealing with mental health issues or addiction, and seniors who simply can’t make ends meet. The number of seniors experiencing homelessness has quadrupled in the Flathead Valley over the last four years. Medicaid helps them get the care they need so they can stabilize their lives and get back on their feet.
It’s hard to miss the talk in Washington about massive budget cuts, including significant cuts to Medicaid. Let me be clear: cutting Medicaid will harm rural Montana and will actually worsen the homeless crisis in our state. By taking away the ability for people to get their medications, access mental health care and substance use treatment, or even see a doctor when they get sick, it will shift the burden to local communities, which are already stretched thin. Emergency rooms, jails, police, firefighters, and shelters like ours will bear the cost. And ultimately, so will taxpayers.
We serve some families at Samaritan House, many of whom come from rural communities with fewer services available. Half of all children and 20% of adults in rural areas get their healthcare through Medicaid, and cutting the program would force rural hospitals to reduce services and put them at a real risk of closure. This isn’t good for any of us — whether you are on Medicaid or have private insurance. Rural families need more access to services, not less.
We’re hiring case management staff specifically trained to assist our clients in navigating the Medicaid application process. However, it’s not enough to simply have a program on paper — people need help accessing it. Our case managers will ensure that eligible clients can enroll in Medicaid and then learn how to use their insurance. Consistent preventive healthcare reduces long-term costs and helps individuals stay housed and healthy. This is not just about individual well-being — it’s about community stability. When more people are covered, our emergency systems are less strained, our workforce becomes more resilient, and more individuals can actively contribute to the vibrancy of our cities and towns.
Recently, the Montana Legislature passed a bipartisan bill to continue Medicaid expansion. Ten years of data and experience have shown that it helps businesses, families, our healthcare system, and our communities. It’s now time to protect Medicaid at the federal level because it is so critical to moving people out of homelessness and into stable housing.
Investing in Medicaid is a smart use of public dollars. It helps people before their problems become crises, and it supports a healthier, more stable workforce. It also reflects the values I believe most Montanans share — that we look out for one another, especially in hard times.
I urge our federal leaders to think about the real people behind the numbers. Protect Medicaid. It’s the right thing to do — economically and morally.
Christopher Krager is the Executive Director of the Samaritan House in Kalispell.