Healthcare

died · Montana · Senate May 23, 2025

SB 353: Revise right to try laws to include minors with a terminal illness

SB 353 would have expanded Montana's "right to try" law to allow minors with terminal illnesses access to investigational drugs, biological products, or devices. Currently, the law excluded minors from this pathway; this bill would permit eligibility if a minor's treating health care provider attests that the minor has a terminal illness. The bill did not change other existing requirements, such as exhausting approved treatments or obtaining written consent. This change would directly affect minors diagnosed with terminal illnesses seeking experimental treatments not yet approved by the FDA. (Note: The bill died in committee in May 2025 and was never enacted.)

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands access to investigational treatments for minors with terminal illness under right-to-try law, improving patient access to experimental therapies.90% confidence

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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

Sub-Topics Medicare Public Health

vetoed · Montana · House May 1, 2025

HB 607: Provide for the hearing aid coverage act

HB 607, known as the "Hearing Aid Coverage Act," proposes to expand health insurance coverage for hearing loss. The bill revises current law that mandates coverage only for children, extending this requirement to include individuals of all ages. It achieves this by amending sections 2-18-704 and 33-22-128 of the Montana Code Annotated, which govern mandatory provisions in insurance contracts. This change would require state insurance plans to cover treatment for hearing loss for both children and adults.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands mandatory hearing aid coverage from children to all ages, requiring state insurance plans to cover hearing loss treatment for all individuals.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance

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died · Montana · House May 22, 2025

HB 185: Provide for continuous healthy Montana kids plan eligibility for children under 6

HB 185 directs the Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) to implement continuous eligibility for children under six years old in the Healthy Montana Kids plan. This means eligible children would remain enrolled in the program until their sixth birthday, regardless of changes in family income or other circumstances that might otherwise make them ineligible. DPHHS is required to apply for the necessary federal waivers and state plan amendments by July 1, 2025, and implement the continuous eligibility within six months of federal approval. The bill aims to provide consistent health coverage for young children enrolled in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEnsures continuous health coverage for children under six without income-based interruptions, expanding access to healthcare services95% confidence

Sub-Topics Children's Health Medicaid Public Health

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 783: Generally revise health insurance laws relating to certain conditions

HB 783 aimed to revise health insurance laws by requiring coverage for specific conditions and treatments. It would have mandated individual health insurance policies to cover glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and treatments for polycystic ovary syndrome when medically necessary, including for diagnoses of diabetes or class 3 obesity. While allowing standard cost-sharing and cost containment measures, the bill prohibited special limitations on glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists. Additionally, it sought to add other mandatory coverages, such as fertility preservation services and therapies for Down syndrome, to state group health plans. The bill would have affected individuals with these conditions and those covered by applicable health insurance policies in the state.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates coverage for specific treatments (GLP-1 agonists, PCOS) when medically necessary, prohibiting special limitations and expanding access to essential healthcare services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance

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died · Montana · Senate May 23, 2025

SB 527: Create the building families act

SB 527, the "Building Families Act," would require most health insurance plans in Montana to cover infertility diagnosis and treatment, including in vitro fertilization (IVF), up to a $25,000 lifetime limit. It directly affects insured Montanans seeking infertility care by mandating coverage for these services without extra deductibles, copays, or restrictions that differ from standard medical coverage. The bill defines infertility based on medical guidelines and prohibits insurers from imposing unique limitations on fertility treatments compared to other prescription drugs or services. It applies to all small group, large group, and individual health plans sold in Montana that cover medical expenses.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates insurance coverage for infertility treatments including IVF, expanding access without extra costs per medical guidelines.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 163: Provide for health care preceptor individual income tax credit

HB 163 proposed creating a new individual income tax credit for health care professionals who volunteer as preceptors in Montana. The bill would allow licensed preceptors to claim a $1,000 credit for each eligible clinical rotation, up to a maximum of $5,000 per tax year, provided they do not receive compensation for their supervisory role. An eligible clinical rotation requires a minimum of 100 hours of direct supervised training for students in various graduate-level health care programs within the state. This nonrefundable credit aimed to support preceptors who educate advanced practice registered nursing, medical, physician assistant, and other health care students.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates a $1,000 individual income tax credit for health care preceptors, providing direct tax relief and reducing taxable income under tax policy.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareProvides tax credit to incentivize healthcare preceptors, strengthening workforce development for clinical training in health services.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Income Tax

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signed · Montana · House May 13, 2025

HB 825: Generally revise laws related to health care proxy decisionmakers

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.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEnables patient designation of trusted decisionmakers, prioritizing patient autonomy in medical choices, protecting rights under healthcare decision-making laws.95% confidence

died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 750: Provide for annual increase of Medicaid provider reimbursement rates

HB 750, titled "Provide for annual increase of Medicaid provider reimbursement rates," proposes to annually increase the reimbursement rates for services covered by the Montana Medicaid program. This bill directly affects healthcare providers who offer services to Medicaid recipients in Montana. It mandates that the department responsible for Medicaid annually increase these reimbursement rates by a minimum of 2%.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareIncreases Medicaid provider reimbursement rates by 2% annually, improving provider access and funding for healthcare services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Medicaid

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signed · Montana · House Apr 17, 2025

HB 399: Revise prior authorization laws

HB 399 revises prior authorization laws for health insurance issuers, aiming to simplify access to certain prescription drugs for covered individuals. The bill prohibits prior authorization for oral and inhaled generic prescription drugs, inhaled medications for asthma or chronic lung diseases, and insulin for diabetes patients. It also restricts prior authorization for generic drugs used consistently for six months and for dosage adjustments within approved limits. If an insurer makes an adverse determination for a prescription drug, the decision must be made by a specialist physician, and the insurer must provide a list of covered therapeutic alternatives.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill prohibits prior authorization for essential medications (insulin, asthma drugs, generics), directly improving patient access to prescribed treatments without unnecessary barriers.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance Prescription Drugs