Healthcare

introduced · Montana · Legislature Feb 11, 2025

LC 4033: Increasing the number of physician assistants on the board of medical examiners

This bill proposes to change the composition of Montana's Board of Medical Examiners by increasing the number of physician assistants on the board from one to two members. The legislation directly affects the state's medical licensing oversight body by amending the Montana Code Annotated to update the required membership structure. Under the new provisions, the board would consist of 13 members total, including two physician assistants alongside doctors of medicine, osteopathy, podiatry, nutrition, emergency care providers, and public representatives. This change aims to ensure greater representation of physician assistants in the regulatory decisions made by the board regarding medical licensing and practice standards.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill increases physician assistant representation on medical oversight board, improving patient access and healthcare oversight.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Medical Licensing

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Feb 13, 2025

LC 1242: Generally revise laws related to chiropractic practitioners

This bill revises Montana laws governing chiropractic practitioners by creating an optional license endorsement that allows chiropractors to prescribe specific noncontrolled medications. The endorsement would enable chiropractors to prescribe skeletal muscle relaxants, anti-inflammatory drugs, glucocorticoids, topical anesthetics, and trigger point injections for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. The bill requires the state board of chiropractors to establish rules covering application procedures, educational requirements, and protocols for drug procurement and storage. Chiropractors without the endorsement cannot advertise prescriptive authority, and the changes also update legal definitions of chiropractic practice to clarify the scope of permitted activities.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill expands chiropractic practitioners' ability to prescribe medications, improving patient access to treatment options and strengthening healthcare services.85% confidence

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Feb 17, 2025

LC 2725: Revise right to try laws to include minors with a terminal illness

This bill amends Montana's Right to Try law to allow minors with a terminal illness to access investigational drugs, biological products, or devices that are not yet approved by the FDA. Previously, minors were excluded from the program regardless of their medical condition, but this change requires a treating health care provider to attest that the minor has a terminal illness. To qualify, the patient must have considered all other approved treatment options, receive a recommendation from their doctor, provide written informed consent, and have documentation confirming they meet the requirements. The legislation directly affects families of children with terminal illnesses seeking access to experimental treatments outside of clinical trials.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill expands access to investigational treatments for terminally ill minors, improving patient access to healthcare options.95% confidence

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Feb 12, 2025

LC 1891: Allow for automatic CMS medicare fee schedule updates

This bill amends Montana's administrative rulemaking laws to allow the Department of Public Health and Human Services to automatically adopt Medicare fee schedules issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services without requiring new legislation for each update. The key provision establishes a process where updated Medicare fee schedules are incorporated by rule, streamlining how healthcare payment rates are adjusted in the state. The bill also modifies existing notice requirements to ensure legislators and interested parties are informed about proposed rule changes, particularly when monetary amounts affecting fees or benefits are involved. These changes apply to the state's administrative agencies responsible for implementing federal Medicare regulations and affect healthcare providers and payers who rely on these fee schedules.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill streamlines Medicare fee schedule updates, ensuring healthcare payment rates are adjusted efficiently without legislative delays, supporting healthcare funding stability.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Medicare Public Health

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Feb 18, 2025

LC 2295: Revise laws prohibiting contracts that restrict practice to include physicians of all specialties

This bill expands Montana's existing law that prevents healthcare contracts from restricting how providers work after leaving their jobs to include more mental health and behavioral health professionals. Previously, these protections only applied to physicians, but the new law now covers psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, counselors, addiction counselors, marriage and family therapists, and behavioral health peer support specialists. The changes prohibit employers from stopping these covered providers from treating their current patients or working in any area after their employment ends, except when a practice is being sold or purchased. This update aims to ensure broader protections against restrictive non-compete agreements across the behavioral health sector.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill expands protections for mental health and behavioral health professionals, preventing restrictive contracts and improving access to care.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Substance Abuse

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Feb 18, 2025

LC 3225: Establish nurse safe staffing standards

This bill establishes mandatory minimum nurse-to-patient ratios for various hospital units in Montana, directly affecting licensed hospitals and the nurses who work there. It requires hospitals to create staffing committees with at least 50% direct-care nurses to develop and approve annual staffing plans that specify minimum staffing levels for each unit. The bill sets specific maximum patient loads for nurses across different departments, such as limiting ICU nurses to two patients and ER nurses to four non-critical patients, while also mandating that staffing plans be publicly posted and that hospitals maintain detailed records of actual staffing levels.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill establishes nurse-to-patient ratios to improve patient safety and healthcare quality, directly supporting healthcare services and protecting patient rights.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill establishes nurse-to-patient ratios and requires staffing committees with direct-care nurses, protecting workers' rights and improving workplace safety conditions.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Healthcare Workforce Hospitals

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Feb 23, 2025

LC 3419: Provide for pricing transparency requirements for hospitals

This bill requires Montana hospitals to publicly display their pricing information on their websites and provide it in machine-readable formats. It directly affects hospitals by mandating they publish detailed lists of standard charges for all items and services, including gross charges, negotiated rates, and discounted cash prices. The law also requires hospitals to report data to the Department of Public Health and Human Services and prohibits noncompliant hospitals from collecting debt. Additionally, the bill establishes a private right of action for individuals to enforce these transparency requirements.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill enhances healthcare transparency, protects patient rights by enabling informed decisions, and prevents hospitals from collecting debt without disclosure.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Public Health

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Feb 12, 2025

LC 1837: Generally revise health care laws related to doulas

This bill establishes a voluntary certification program for doulas in Montana, allowing trained nonmedical professionals to receive state certification through the Department of Labor and Industry. Under the new law, doulas who wish to be certified must complete required competencies, pay applicable fees, and meet professional conduct standards, though practicing without certification remains permitted. The bill also authorizes the Department of Public Health and Human Services to provide Medicaid coverage for services from state-certified doulas and grants the department rulemaking authority to implement certification requirements. Additionally, the legislation amends existing Montana Code Annotated sections to include doulas within the state's professional licensing framework.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill establishes certification for doulas to improve maternal health services and expand access to nonmedical support during childbirth.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Public Health

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Feb 24, 2025

LC 4125: Ban aluminum in vaccines

This bill would ban the use of aluminum as an ingredient in vaccines sold or administered within Montana, directly affecting vaccine manufacturers, distributors, and healthcare providers. It requires the state Department of Public Health and Human Services to notify all relevant parties within 30 days of enactment and mandates that manufacturers and distributors submit compliance plans within one year detailing how they will remove aluminum-containing vaccines and distribute aluminum-free alternatives. The ban does not take effect until the Department of Public Health and Human Services certifies that aluminum-free vaccines are available for human use, at which point healthcare providers would be prohibited from administering any vaccine containing aluminum. The bill also authorizes the Department of Labor and Industry to take licensing action against healthcare providers who violate the prohibition.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill restricts aluminum in vaccines to protect public health and patient safety, aligning with healthcare protection goals.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Public Health

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Dec 10, 2024

LC 978: Revise funding for assisted living services

This bill creates the Senior Care Facility Access and Stabilization Act to revise how Medicaid funds assisted living services in Montana. It establishes new rules for calculating room and board payments, requiring annual adjustments based on recipients' income and Medicaid qualification costs, with specific effective dates starting July 1, 2027. The legislation also directs the Department of Public Health and Human Services to transition certain assisted living services from a waiver program to the Community First Choice Option under Medicaid by January 1, 2028. Additionally, the bill mandates quarterly reporting on program usage, waiting lists, provider participation, and expenditures to the health and human services interim budget committee.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill revises Medicaid funding for assisted living services, establishing new payment rules and transitioning services from waiver programs, indicating increased funding for essential senior care services.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill revises Medicaid funding for assisted living services, establishing rules for room and board payments and transitioning services from waiver programs, indicating increased support for senior healthcare access.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Long-Term Care Medicaid Public Health

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