Healthcare

signed · Montana · Senate May 13, 2025

SB 449: Generally revise health utilization review laws

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.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcarePrevents redundant prior authorizations and extends coverage during plan changes, improving patient access to care without added delays.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Montana · Senate May 13, 2025

SB 317: Prohibit health insurers from performing prior authorization on psychiatric drugs in shortage or discontinued

SB 317 prohibits health insurance companies from requiring prior authorization for psychiatric prescription drugs that are officially designated as being in shortage. The list of these drugs will be updated quarterly, based on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's official shortage list. This aims to ensure covered persons can access necessary psychiatric medications without delays due to prior authorization when supplies are limited. Additionally, the bill prevents manufacturers of these shortage drugs from engaging in predatory pricing or marketing practices.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRemoves prior authorization barriers for psychiatric drugs in shortage, improving patient access to mental health care per FDA shortage list.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Montana · House May 8, 2025

HB 740: Revise laws relating to pharmacies, pharmacy benefit managers, and other entities

HB 740 revises laws affecting pharmacies, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), and other entities involved in prescription drug dispensing and reimbursement. The bill establishes new restrictions on how PBMs can audit pharmacies and recoup funds, such as prohibiting recoupment for clerical errors without actual financial harm and banning the use of extrapolation in calculations. It also updates regulations for Maximum Allowable Cost (MAC) lists and reference pricing, requiring PBMs to ensure drugs on MAC lists are available and to frequently update and disclose pricing information to pharmacies.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRestricts PBMs from unfair recoupment (e.g., clerical errors without harm) and mandates fair MAC/reference pricing, protecting pharmacies and improving patient access to medications.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Montana · Senate May 8, 2025

SB 191: Provide for the licensure of residential treatment centers

Senate Bill 191 establishes a new licensing system for residential treatment centers in Montana. It grants the Department of Public Health and Human Services the authority to create administrative rules for these centers, covering areas such as staff qualifications, treatment services, insurance, and background checks. The bill requires these centers to obtain accreditation from an entity approved by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, with provisional licenses available during the accreditation process. Finally, it extends eligibility for appropriate educational opportunities to children placed in these newly defined residential treatment centers.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEstablishes licensing standards requiring CMS-approved accreditation and insurance compliance for residential treatment centers, strengthening quality oversight in healthcare services.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

passed both · Montana · House May 6, 2025

HJ 35: Joint resolution urging changes to federal wildfire policy

HJ 35 is a joint resolution from the Montana Legislature urging federal officials to modify current federal land management and wildfire policies. It calls for an aggressive initial attack on wildfires across all federal lands and for federal forest roads to remain open for access and fire suppression. The resolution also recommends that EPA air quality standards include wildfire smoke and that federal "let it burn" policies be reversed, ensuring NEPA processes are followed. Finally, it advocates for increased involvement of state and local governments and stakeholder groups in federal fire management decisions to protect Montana's communities.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentAdvocates for EPA air quality standards including wildfire smoke and reversing 'let it burn' policies to protect natural resources and reduce pollution from wildfires.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill advocates including wildfire smoke in EPA air quality standards, a public health program, strengthening air quality measures affecting health.80% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationBill explicitly urges federal forest roads to remain open for fire suppression access, directly supporting transportation infrastructure maintenance and access.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

Track

passed both · Montana · Senate May 6, 2025

SJ 49: Interim study of youth and family behavioral health prevention

SJ 49 requests an interim study of youth and family behavioral health prevention programs across Montana. An interim committee will be designated to comprehensively review these programs, focusing on their funding, workforce, and delivery settings for youth under 18. The study aims to identify gaps in the state's behavioral health system and assess how prevention efforts divert youth and families from crises, with findings to be reported to the 70th Legislature.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill initiates study to identify gaps in youth mental health prevention programs, aiming to strengthen system through comprehensive review of funding, workforce, and delivery settings.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

Track

signed · Montana · House May 5, 2025

HB 454: Revise visit frequency required of supervisory physical therapists

HB 454 revises the required frequency of patient visits by a licensed physical therapist when supervising a physical therapy assistant. This bill directly affects licensed physical therapists, physical therapy assistants, and the patients they serve. It changes the supervisory requirement, allowing a physical therapist to make an onsite or telehealth visit once for every eight visits made by an assistant, rather than six. Additionally, the time-based supervisory visit is extended from every two weeks to every 30 days, whichever occurs first.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareReduces mandatory supervision frequency for physical therapists, increasing efficiency and potentially improving patient access to services through streamlined care delivery.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Montana · House May 5, 2025

HB 473: Allow for automatic CMS medicare fee schedule updates

HB 473 grants the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) the authority to adopt Medicare fee schedules issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) through administrative rule. A key provision allows for the automatic incorporation of future updates to these federal fee schedules. This streamlines the process for DPHHS to align state reimbursement rates with federal Medicare standards. The bill affects the DPHHS's rulemaking procedures and indirectly impacts healthcare providers and beneficiaries whose services are reimbursed based on these schedules.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAutomates Medicare fee schedule updates to align state reimbursements with federal standards, improving provider payment stability and patient access to care.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Montana · House May 5, 2025

HB 600: Authorize emergency use of albuterol in a school setting

HB 600 authorizes public and nonpublic schools to maintain a supply of "stock albuterol," a quick-relief asthma medication, for emergency use. This medication can be administered by a school nurse or other authorized school personnel to any individual, student or non-student, experiencing respiratory distress on school grounds or at school-related activities. Schools choosing to keep stock albuterol must develop a protocol for staff training, medication maintenance, and post-administration follow-up, including determining when to make a 9-1-1 emergency call. The bill requires a prescription for the stock albuterol, with the school designated as the patient.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAuthorizes school access to emergency asthma medication, improving immediate healthcare access for respiratory distress in educational settings.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Montana · House May 5, 2025

HB 397: Revise laws related to privacy in mental health digital service

HB 397 establishes confidentiality standards for mental health digital services. It defines these services as mobile applications or websites that collect, use, or access information related to an individual's mental health or substance use disorder, market themselves as facilitating such services, and use the information for diagnosis, treatment, or management. The bill subjects these services to existing health care information disclosure and confidentiality provisions. It also provides for enforcement and remedies for individuals whose information is disclosed in violation of these standards.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEstablishes confidentiality standards for mental health digital services, protecting patient privacy under existing healthcare confidentiality laws, aligning with patient rights and mental health support.92% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyHB 397 extends existing health privacy laws to digital mental health services, enforcing confidentiality standards for data handling in technology platforms, thus protecting user privacy.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare