BILLINGS- Montana is facing a critical challenge after becoming one of seven states where all federal family planning funds have been frozen without explanation from federal officials.
The sudden freeze of $2 million in Title X funding, initiated under the Trump administration, has left 20 health clinics across the state searching for answers and alternative sources of support.
Watch advocates' concerns in the video below:
According to reproductive health advocates, Montana is among the plaintiffs in a lawsuit claiming the Trump administration unlawfully froze a total of $65 million in family planning grants, cutting off care in states including Montana, California and Utah.
The National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association, joined by the ACLU, filed the lawsuit, arguing that the move puts vital reproductive health services at risk and violates federal law.
“We see a wide variety of people,” said Stephanie McDowell, executive director of Bridgercare, a Title X recipient based in Bozeman. “They are generally the working poor.”
At a time when health care costs are already high for many Montanans, McDowell said the loss of Title X funding has put additional pressure on clinics that serve low-income and uninsured patients.
“Right now, our primary objective is keeping access to critical care uninterrupted,” she said.
Bridgercare distributes Title X funding to a network of 20 clinics statewide. So far, McDowell said, they've managed to stay open and provide services, but she added that the current situation is unsustainable.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the freeze affects roughly one in five Title X clinics nationwide. But in Montana, McDowell said, “every single clinic lost support.”
“In Montana, that funding has been coming into the state since 1972,” she added.
McDowell said the federal government cited compliance with the Civil Rights Act as the reason for pausing the funding, requesting documentation from clinics to prove adherence to federal civil rights standards.
“They cited compliance with the Civil Rights Act as the reason for pausing our funding and asked us to submit information from all of our clinics around the state to prove compliance,” McDowell said. “We did exactly that—but since then, there’s been no communication.”
In the meantime, she said Bridgercare is relying heavily on private donors to keep operations afloat.
Martha Fuller, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Montana, said her organization is also feeling the impact. She noted that while some states received partial funding, Montana received none, without a clear explanation.
“That is something that we have been wondering and could not answer,” Fuller said. “So it’s just been sort of unexplainable.”
Fuller also warned that the situation could worsen if the Trump-backed “Big Beautiful Bill” is approved by Congress. The legislation would impose sweeping Medicaid cuts, potentially defunding all four Planned Parenthood clinics in the state.
“Across our country, probably about 200 Planned Parenthood centers would close, and those health centers serve 1.1 million people,” Fuller said. “So here in Montana, we see a small portion—but we are thinking about those who are the most vulnerable.”
According to Planned Parenthood, more than 16,000 visits are made annually to its Montana clinics for birth control, cancer screenings, STI testing and other preventive care.
“It means a lot to the folks here in our state,” Fuller said.
The impact is especially severe in rural areas. According to the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration, 51 of Montana’s 56 counties are designated health professional shortage areas.
“We are seeing a very intense shift against access to contraceptives,” Fuller added, pointing to a broader national trend in reproductive policy.
And with uncertainty looming, both McDowell and Fuller said time is running out.
“I can say confidently—we have a year,” Fuller said, referring to how long clinics may be able to operate without restored federal support.
