HB 880 establishes the Medicaid Stabilization Reserve Account, a state special revenue fund designed to help maintain Medicaid benefits during state revenue shortfalls. The account would be primarily funded by transferring any unused state general fund appropriations for Medicaid at the end of a fiscal year. Funds from this account could only be appropriated by the legislature for state Medicaid matching funds after the budget director certifies a projected general fund deficit. This mechanism aims to mitigate expenditure reductions in the Medicaid program, directly affecting the stability of services for beneficiaries. The bill also includes an initial appropriation of $50,000 for state Medicaid matching funds.
HB 732, the "Prompt Cost Report Reimbursement Act," revises how the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services reimburses critical access hospitals participating in the state's Medicaid program. The bill requires the department to perform a tentative settlement and make interim payments to these hospitals within 240 days of a cost report being submitted to the Medicare administrative contractor. A final settlement and adjustment will occur after the Medicare administrative contractor completes its full review or audit. This process aims to align Montana Medicaid's reimbursement with Medicare's, ensuring more timely payments to critical access hospitals for services rendered.
HB 825 revises laws related to healthcare decision-makers for adult patients. It allows patients to designate a "trusted decisionmaker" to make medical choices on their behalf if they lose the ability to make their own, with healthcare providers required to document this designation. The bill establishes a legal hierarchy for selecting a decision-maker for incapacitated patients, placing the patient-designated trusted decisionmaker high on that list. This ensures a patient's chosen individual has authority to make healthcare decisions if they cannot.
Senate Bill 95 allocates $300,000 to the Department of Public Health and Human Services for the biennium beginning July 1, 2025. This funding is dedicated to suicide prevention efforts specifically for service members, veterans, and their families. The bill outlines several key uses for the money, including implementing prevention strategies and establishing screening standards for suicide risk. It also aims to improve care transitions and increase lethal means safety through initiatives such as a statewide safe storage campaign and training events. The act is effective July 1, 2025, and terminates on June 30, 2027.
HB 576 revises the funding for Medicaid and health and support services for children and adults who are aged, blind, or disabled. The bill allows a portion of the state's annual tobacco settlement proceeds to be used as matching funds for federal programs, including the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), home visiting services, and specific Medicaid waivers. It also expands the uses of an existing state special revenue account, enabling its funds to similarly provide matching funds for these same services. These changes are designed to help secure federal funding for a range of health and support programs.
HB 543 repeals the termination date for laws requiring the reporting and disclosure of violence against healthcare employees. Previously, these reporting requirements were set to expire on a specific date. By repealing that sunset clause, this bill makes the reporting and disclosure obligations permanent. This ensures that information about violence affecting healthcare workers will continue to be collected and shared indefinitely.
HB 574 authorizes the Department of Public Health and Human Services to establish a program for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) by October 1, 2026. These clinics will provide comprehensive behavioral health services, including targeted case management, peer support, and outreach to emergency rooms and law enforcement. The bill also outlines specific requirements for CCBHCs, such as providing urgent care within one business day, offering a sliding fee scale, and not refusing services due to inability to pay. Additionally, it directs the department to establish reimbursement rates, monitor clinic performance, and develop an incentive program for clinics that achieve exceptional outcomes.
HB 806 generally revises the laws governing dietitians and nutritionists in Montana. The bill updates definitions related to the practice of nutrition and dietetics, and establishes new licensure requirements, including mandatory criminal background checks. It also outlines provisions for qualified supervisors, permits, and transitional licensure for these professionals. Additionally, the bill integrates licensed dietitians and nutritionists into the state's "quality educator" payment framework, affecting their recognition in public schools, special education cooperatives, and correctional facilities.
SB 218 establishes a private right of action, allowing minors, their legal guardians, or estates to file civil lawsuits against healthcare professionals and physicians. These lawsuits can be brought for injuries caused by specific medical interventions, including certain surgeries, hormone therapies, and puberty blockers, when provided to minors to treat gender dysphoria. Liability may arise if the injury is proximately caused by a deviation from the applicable medical standard of care. The bill sets a statute of limitations for these actions and clarifies that it does not apply to treatments for medically verifiable disorders of sex development or complications from prior medical treatments.
SB 449 generally revises health utilization review laws, affecting health insurance enrollees, health insurance issuers, and healthcare providers. It requires health insurers to honor existing prior authorizations for at least 90 days when an enrollee changes health plans and prevents requiring repeat step therapy protocols if already completed. The bill prohibits prior authorization for certain prescriptions written at discharge from inpatient care for at least three days. Additionally, it generally prevents health insurers from retroactively denying covered services that received prior authorization and mandates that insurers accept and respond electronically to prior authorization requests from healthcare providers.
