Healthcare

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 | Rep's Stance Voted abstain

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 884: Establish a behavioral health trust fund

HB 884 sought to establish the Montana Behavioral Health Trust Fund and an oversight board to support behavioral health services statewide. It would have created a permanent endowment, with only the interest generated from it being transferred quarterly into a special revenue account. This account would fund grants for various eligible purposes, including mental health programs in public schools, expanding crisis care services, and providing support for individuals experiencing homelessness. A newly formed seven-member board would have been responsible for administering the fund, determining grant priorities, and monitoring the effectiveness of funded services.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates trust fund using interest to fund mental health programs via state finance appropriations, aligning with funding essential services under budget management.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareCreates behavioral health trust fund to fund mental health programs, school services, and crisis care via dedicated interest revenue, directly advancing healthcare access.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Healthcare

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 386: Revising laws related to continuous medicaid eligibility

HB 386 directs the Department of Public Health and Human Services to apply for the reinstatement of 12-month continuous Medicaid eligibility for specific groups. This would affect parents, caretaker relatives, and adults covered under Medicaid expansion. The department is required to submit amendments to existing federal waivers by September 30, 2025, to restore this continuous eligibility, which was previously allowed before certain waiver changes in 2021 and 2022. The bill would take effect immediately upon passage and approval.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRestores 12-month continuous Medicaid eligibility for parents, caretakers, and expansion adults, ensuring uninterrupted health coverage and access to services.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 237: Prohibit placement of sentenced defendants in the state forensic mental health facility

HB 237 would prohibit the placement of certain sentenced defendants in the state forensic mental health facility at Galen. The bill amends existing law to specify that individuals found to have a mental disease, disorder, or developmental disability at the time of their offense, and who are committed for treatment, cannot be placed at the Galen facility. Instead, these defendants could be placed in other appropriate correctional, mental health, residential, or developmental disabilities facilities for their custody, care, and treatment. The director of the department would retain the authority to transfer individuals between these alternative facilities.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRedirects mentally ill defendants from forensic facility to appropriate care, promoting rehabilitation over incarceration - aligns with criminal justice reform goals.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill mandates placement in mental health facilities for eligible defendants, ensuring appropriate care under Health Care Services subject.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 565: Require health insurance companies doing business in Montana to cover IVF treatment

House Bill 565, also known as the "Building Families Act," would have required certain health insurance policies in Montana to cover the diagnosis and treatment of infertility, including in vitro fertilization (IVF). This mandate would have applied to small group, large group, and individual health insurance policies issued or renewed in the state. The bill defined infertility based on factors like age and time trying to conceive, or a physician's findings. It set a lifetime coverage minimum of at least $40,000 for fertilization services and aimed to ensure fertility coverage was not subject to different limitations than other medical benefits.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareHB 565 mandates insurance coverage for IVF treatment, expanding access to fertility care under Montana health insurance policies, directly advancing healthcare coverage for reproductive services.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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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

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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

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 273: Provide for limitations on collection of medical debt

HB 273, the "Montana Medical Debt Patient Protection Act," aimed to limit how health care providers and third-party collectors pursue medical debt from patients in Montana. The bill would have prohibited certain collection actions, including wage garnishment, placing liens on a patient's primary residence, and reporting adverse information to credit agencies. It also mandated a 180-day waiting period after the first bill before "extraordinary collection actions," such as filing lawsuits or selling debt, could begin, along with requiring a 30-day notice to the patient. Additionally, it sought to provide patients with an opportunity to appeal insurance decisions before a bill went to collections.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill protects patients from aggressive debt collection (wage garnishment, liens, credit reporting), directly improving healthcare access and patient rights as a core healthcare policy indicator.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentProhibits wage garnishment for medical debt, protecting workers' earnings from debt collection actions that directly impact income.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 737: Generally revise suicide prevention laws

HB 737, titled "Generally revise suicide prevention laws," establishes a voluntary do-not-sell list to aid in suicide prevention for Montana citizens. This bill allows individuals to voluntarily waive their firearm rights by adding themselves to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) indices, restricting them from purchasing firearms. Voluntary waiver forms would be made available by state departments, courts, medical professionals, and local law enforcement. Individuals can request removal from the list, which typically takes 21 days, or seek expedited removal through a court hearing within two business days. The bill also provides for the confidentiality of waiver documents and prohibits discrimination based on a person's voluntary waiver, while outlining penalties for false statements or coercion.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill integrates mental health prevention through voluntary firearm restrictions, involving medical professionals to protect public health and reduce suicide risk.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 540: Alllow DOC to contract with private corporations to establish and maintain certain facilities and programs

This bill, HB 540, aims to revise the powers of the Department of Corrections (DOC) by allowing it to contract with private corporations to establish and maintain certain facilities and programs. Specifically, it amends existing law regarding who the DOC can contract with for services like prerelease and treatment centers, residential methamphetamine treatment programs, and residential sexual offender treatment programs. While existing law already allows contracting with private,

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeEnables private contracts for correctional treatment programs, expanding rehabilitation services within the corrections system.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill enables DOC to contract for substance abuse (meth) and sexual offender treatment programs, expanding access to mental health services within corrections. This aligns with healthcare support indicators.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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