Healthcare (Long-Term Care)

introduced · Montana · Legislature Feb 25, 2025

LC 470: Revise laws relating to category D assisted living facilities

This bill updates regulations for Category D assisted living facilities in Montana, allowing them to operate independently or share space with other licensed facilities while limiting occupancy to a maximum of 15 residents. It clarifies that these facilities are not required to use seclusion, chemical, or physical restraints but must obtain prior authorization before using any form of restraint or seclusion. The legislation also establishes a process for diverting individuals from the Montana State Hospital to Category D facilities and requires the Department of Public Health and Human Services to provide technical assistance and a specialized reimbursement model to support these facilities. Additionally, the bill mandates monthly health assessments for Category D residents who are assessed as dangerous to themselves or others.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill protects patient rights by limiting restraint use in assisted living facilities and clarifies regulations for Category D facilities, improving care standards.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Hospitals Long-Term Care Public Health

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Jan 31, 2025

LC 1354: Provide for educational credit for students volunteering in long term care, nursing home, home care, and child care settings

This bill allows high school students in grades 11 and 12 to earn elective credits toward graduation by working at long-term care, nursing home, home care, or child care facilities. Students can earn one credit for every 250 hours worked, with a maximum of two credits allowed. Schools must create application forms to verify work hours and may set specific conditions on the types of tasks students perform. The program applies to both public and private schools and takes effect on July 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill expands educational access by allowing students to earn elective credits through community service, enhancing student programs and graduation requirements.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill encourages student volunteering in long-term care and nursing homes, potentially improving workforce pipeline and patient care support.75% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill creates educational opportunities for students in care settings, indirectly supporting workforce development in labor sectors like long-term care and child care.75% confidence

Sub-Topics Career & Technical Education Long-Term Care Child Labor

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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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introduced · Montana · Legislature Feb 10, 2025

LC 2085: Enhance penalty for crime against vulnerable person

This bill, known as "Alan's Law," introduces stricter penalties for individuals working or volunteering in caregiving facilities who commit crimes against vulnerable people within those facilities. It mandates an additional prison sentence of one to ten years for such offenses, which must be served consecutively to any other punishment and cannot be suspended or deferred under normal circumstances. The law defines "caregiving facilities" to include mental health centers, assisted living facilities, schools, foster homes, and day-care centers, while "vulnerable persons" are identified as children, vulnerable adults, and incapacitated individuals. This measure directly affects employees and volunteers in these settings by establishing mandatory additional consequences for crimes committed against the people they are responsible for caring for.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill increases mandatory prison sentences for crimes in caregiving facilities, expanding criminalization and reducing judicial discretion in sentencing.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill strengthens protections for vulnerable patients in healthcare facilities by increasing penalties for crimes against them, directly supporting patient safety and rights.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Long-Term Care

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Feb 25, 2025

LC 3697: Generally revise health insurance laws relating to certain conditions

This bill requires health insurance plans issued in Montana to cover specific diabetes and obesity treatments, including glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, when deemed medically necessary. It applies to individual disability policies, certificates of insurance, and membership contracts but excludes disability income, hospital indemnity, Medicare supplement, specified disease, and long-term care policies. The legislation defines medically necessary coverage to include diagnoses of diabetes, class 3 obesity, or polycystic ovary syndrome, while allowing standard deductibles and coinsurance but prohibiting special limitations on these specific medications. Additionally, the bill amends existing state laws to permit legislators, judges, and their spouses to continue group health plan membership after leaving office under certain conditions.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill mandates health insurance coverage for diabetes and obesity treatments, expanding access to necessary medical care.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Hospitals Long-Term Care Medicare

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Feb 26, 2025

LC 2803: Generally revise medicaid laws to reduce or eliminate waiting lists

This bill directs the Montana Medicaid department to take steps to reduce or eliminate waiting lists for covered health services. It requires the department to use administrative, programmatic, and funding tools such as adjusting reimbursement rates or applying for federal waivers to address these delays. The law specifically prioritizes waiting lists for senior and long-term care, behavioral health, dental services, family education support, and home-based services for people with developmental disabilities. Additionally, the department must submit an annual report to the legislature detailing current waiting list sizes, reduction efforts, and expected timelines for eliminating each list.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill aims to reduce or eliminate waiting lists for Medicaid services, improving access to healthcare for seniors, behavioral health, dental, and developmental disability services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Long-Term Care Medicaid

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Feb 6, 2025

LC 821: Implementing cost reporting for certain Medicaid service provider types

This bill establishes a standardized cost reporting system for specific Medicaid service providers in Montana, including those offering mental health, substance use disorder, developmental disabilities, and senior long-term care services. The Department of Public Health and Human Services will create a uniform reporting format that providers must use to submit actual expenditure and revenue data from their most recent fiscal year, with exemptions determined by the department and data collection occurring at least every four years. The department will analyze this data alongside claims information and national statistics to produce a report on Medicaid rate adequacy, which will inform future budget requests to adjust reimbursement rates as needed. This process requires legislative funding and includes provisions for data protection, provider consultation during format development, and potential contracting with external experts to assist with reporting.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill establishes standardized cost reporting for Medicaid providers including mental health and long-term care, improving transparency and accountability in healthcare service delivery.75% confidence

Sub-Topics Long-Term Care Public Health Substance Abuse

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Mar 20, 2025

LC 1424: Create department of health services

This bill creates a new Department of Health Services in Montana and transfers human services functions from the Department of Public Health and Human Services to this new agency. The transferred functions include developmental disabilities services, mental health care, chemical dependency treatment, and veterans' long-term care services. The bill also requires all contracts for third-party human services to include dispute resolution clauses and updates state code definitions related to department performance and structure.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill creates new Department of Health Services and transfers mental health, chemical dependency, and veterans' care functions, strengthening health service infrastructure.85% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransBill transfers veterans' long-term care services to a new department, maintaining and organizing veteran support services within state government structure.75% confidence

Sub-Topics Long-Term Care Public Health

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Mar 25, 2025

LC 855: Establish the Senior and Long-Term Care Home and Community-Based Services Access and Stabilization Act

This bill creates the "Senior and Long-Term Care Home and Community-Based Services Access and Stabilization Act" to improve access to care for seniors and disabled Montanans. It requires Montana's Department of Public Health and Human Services to shift Medicaid-covered assisted living services from the Big Sky Waiver program to the lower-cost Community First Choice Option program by 2026, updating room and board payment rules (tying payments to SSI or income minus $200) to reflect current costs. The savings generated from this shift must be used to serve over 300 individuals currently waiting for services on the Big Sky Waiver program's waiting list. The bill also mandates quarterly reporting on program costs, waiting lists, and service usage to track progress.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareShifts Medicaid services to lower-cost Community First Choice program to improve senior care access, updating payments to reflect current costs and stabilize services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Long-Term Care Public Health

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signed · Montana · Senate Apr 4, 2025

SB 88: Revise laws related to the publication process of certificate of need letters of intent

SB 88 revises Montana's certificate of need process for healthcare facilities by requiring the Department of Public Health and Human Services to publish descriptions of letters of intent on the 10th of each month in a newspaper of general circulation and on its website. It establishes a 30-day window for interested parties to request comparative review of proposals and sets clear deadlines for the department to review applications (20 working days for completeness, 90 days for final review). The bill also mandates that the department notify applicants of decisions within 5 working days after the review period ends. These changes directly affect healthcare providers seeking to acquire or expand long-term care facilities, particularly those involving 50% or more of an existing facility. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareStreamlines healthcare facility approval process with transparent deadlines, improving access to services by reducing bureaucratic delays in certificate of need reviews.75% confidence

Sub-Topics Long-Term Care Public Health