Healthcare

died · Montana · House May 22, 2025

HB 947: Revise insurance laws relating to continuous glucose monitors and supplies

HB 947 requires most individual health insurance policies in Montana to cover continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) and their supplies for people diagnosed with type I or type II diabetes when medically necessary, as prescribed by a healthcare provider. The bill prohibits insurers from denying coverage based on diabetes severity or insulin dependence, and bans special deductibles or limits specifically for CGMs - though standard deductibles may still apply. This affects diabetes patients covered by individual disability, health, or membership insurance plans (excluding Medicare supplements, hospital indemnity, or long-term care policies). The law aims to ensure consistent access to these critical blood sugar monitoring tools without discriminatory coverage barriers.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates insurance coverage for CGMs, prohibits denial based on diabetes severity, and bans special deductibles - expanding access to essential diabetes care.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

Track

died · Montana · House May 22, 2025

HB 274: Provide medicaid coverage for medical respite care for homeless people

HB 274 sought to establish a medical respite care program in Montana for homeless individuals who are eligible for Medicaid. This program would have provided short-term housing in residential facilities with supportive medical services for those recovering from illness or injury but not requiring hospitalization. Services would have included treatment plan monitoring, medication management, immunizations, discharge planning, and transportation for medical appointments. The bill directed the Department of Public Health and Human Services to seek federal approval for the program and to report annually on its costs and the number of individuals served.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill explicitly expands Medicaid coverage for medical respite care, providing health services to homeless individuals and improving access to recovery support.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill provides short-term housing via medical respite care for homeless individuals, directly addressing homelessness and advancing housing access for vulnerable populations.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

Track

died · Montana · House May 22, 2025

HB 758: Revise health care laws relating to out-of-network services

HB 758 aims to protect health benefit plan enrollees from balance billing for out-of-network ground ambulance services. It prohibits ambulance services from billing enrollees more than their in-network cost-sharing for covered transportation. The bill requires insurers to pay ambulance providers directly, caps out-of-pocket costs for these services at $100, and ensures these costs count towards deductibles. It also mandates that insurers reimburse ambulance services at established local rates or at least 400% of the Medicare rate if no contracted rate exists, and requires the state to create a public database of local ambulance rates.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcarePrevents balance billing for ambulance services, caps out-of-pocket costs at $100, and ensures costs count toward deductibles, strengthening patient access and financial protection in healthcare.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

Track

died · Montana · House May 22, 2025

HB 50: Provide protections to parents and pregnant women with substance use disorder

HB 50 protects parents and pregnant women with drug use disorder by preventing child welfare investigations or custody actions solely based on positive drug test results. It amends Montana law to shield individuals seeking treatment or prenatal care from criminal charges related to drug use, and prohibits using drug test results alone to initiate child abuse cases or remove children from homes. The bill directly affects pregnant women, parents, healthcare providers, and child welfare systems by ensuring medical care access isn't penalized. Key provisions include immunity for seeking overdose help and requiring medical evaluation as the primary factor in child welfare decisions.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticePrevents criminal charges for drug use when seeking treatment, reducing criminalization and aligning with justice reform by diverting to healthcare instead of prosecution.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill prevents criminal charges and child welfare actions for seeking substance use treatment/prenatal care, directly protecting patient access and rights in healthcare services per summary.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

Track

died · Montana · House May 22, 2025

HB 912: Generally revise behavioral health laws to create a secure forensic facility

HB 912 proposes creating a new secure forensic facility in Montana, overseen by the Department of Public Health and Human Services. This facility would provide care, treatment, and security for up to 70 individuals involved in the legal system due to mental illness, including those needing competency restoration or forensic evaluations. The bill allocates $60 million from the Behavioral Health System for Future Generations Fund to plan, construct, and equip this facility, while also expanding the fund's uses to support new behavioral health infrastructure.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeCreates secure forensic facility for mental health treatment in legal system, advancing rehabilitation and competency restoration within criminal justice framework.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAllocates $60M from behavioral health fund to create facility providing mental health care/treatment for forensic patients, directly advancing mental health services under healthcare topic.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

Track

died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 310: Establish grant program to increase community shelter capacity for homeless population

HB 310 proposed establishing a state matching grant program to increase community shelter capacity for the homeless population. Administered by the Department of Public Health and Human Services, these grants would help local governments and eligible nonprofit organizations. The funds would specifically target services for senior citizens, veterans, survivors of domestic violence, youth transitioning from foster care, and individuals with mental health or substance use disorders. Applicants would be required to provide matching funds and collaborate with existing homelessness service providers. The bill appropriated $2 million from the general fund for the program, which was set to operate from July 2025 to June 2027.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill establishes state matching grants (approp) for homeless shelter capacity, increasing public funding for essential social services targeting vulnerable populations.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill explicitly targets mental health services for homeless individuals with mental health disorders through state grant program.90% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill establishes state grants to increase homeless shelter capacity, directly funding housing services for vulnerable groups including seniors, veterans, and those with mental health needs, addressing homelessness.95% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransBill explicitly targets veterans as a primary beneficiary group for grant-funded shelter services under the community shelter program, directly advancing veteran support through funding.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

Track

died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 199: Increase physician assistant membership on the board of medical examiners

HB 199 proposed to modify the composition of the Montana State Board of Medical Examiners. The bill aimed to reduce the number of doctor of medicine members on the board from five to four. Concurrently, it sought to increase the number of physician assistant members from one to two. This adjustment would directly affect the representation of these medical professionals on the 12-member board.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill increases PA representation on medical board, potentially enhancing provider roles in healthcare policy and access to services.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

Track

died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 385: Establishing the school mental health promotion pilot program

HB 385 proposed establishing the School Mental Health Promotion Pilot Program, administered by the Office of Public Instruction. This program would have provided grants to Montana school districts to implement innovative, student-led, and locally determined initiatives aimed at improving student mental health. Districts applying for grants would have needed to demonstrate specific needs, broad community support in their application development, and plans for mental health promotion activities and program evaluation. The bill proposed annual grants ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 for a two-year period, with $250,000 appropriated annually from the general fund. The program was set to terminate on June 30, 2029.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesFunds school mental health pilot program through grants, directly addressing appropriations in state budget allocation.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationProvides grants for school mental health programs, enhancing student well-being and support services within K-12 education.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill allocates grants to school districts for student mental health promotion initiatives, directly advancing mental health services through funding and program implementation.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

Track

died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 653: Provide for parental right to access child's health care information

HB 653 revises state law regarding parental access to a child's health care information and consent for medical care. The bill generally requires parental consent for most medical procedures, examinations, prescription drugs, and mental health services for children, with exceptions for emergencies. It also mandates that health care providers make a child's health information available to a parent within 10 days of a request. However, parental access to this information is not required if a government entity is the child's guardian, a court order limits parental rights, or the parent is under investigation for abuse or a crime against the child.

Topics ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareRequires parental consent for most medical procedures, restricting minors' access to healthcare services without parental involvement, including mental health services.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✓ Supports Healthcare

Track

died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 500: Generally revise laws related to chiropractic practitioners

HB 500 aimed to revise laws related to chiropractic practitioners in Montana. The bill sought to establish a new license endorsement, allowing chiropractors who obtain it to prescribe certain noncontrolled, nonscheduled drugs like muscle relaxants and NSAIDs for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. The Board of Chiropractors would have been responsible for setting the educational qualifications and protocols for this prescriptive authority. Additionally, the bill proposed that chiropractic services be included as part of the Montana Medicaid program.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands chiropractors' prescriptive authority for noncontrolled drugs, improving patient access to treatment options within healthcare services.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

Track