HB 585 would have revised Montana's Medicaid reimbursement rates for physical therapists, speech-language pathologists, and occupational therapists. It set a 2026 Medicaid payment rate of $39.56 per service unit and required annual rate increases tied to the medical care component of the U.S. Consumer Price Index. This directly affected these healthcare providers who bill Medicaid for services, ensuring their payments adjusted with inflation. The bill was introduced in 2025 but was vetoed by the governor and later failed to override in the legislature.
SB 422 requires Montana health insurers to cover FDA-approved drugs for advanced or metastatic cancer without forcing patients to first fail other treatments. It prohibits insurers from demanding that patients prove they've tried and failed alternative drugs before approving coverage for new treatments that align with national cancer guidelines. This directly affects patients diagnosed with advanced or metastatic cancer in Montana, ensuring faster access to potentially life-saving medications without unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles. The law applies only to drugs approved by the FDA and consistent with evidence-based cancer treatment protocols.
SB 72 creates a "presumptive eligibility" process for Montana Medicaid, allowing people with physical disabilities or who are elderly to immediately access home and community-based services like personal care, meal delivery, medical equipment, and emergency response systems while awaiting full Medicaid approval. It requires a screening process by trained staff (including tribal entities, hospitals, or aging agencies) to verify income, residency, and need, with applicants having 30 days to apply for ongoing Medicaid coverage. The program aims to prevent hospitalizations or institutional care by providing temporary coverage during the application period, ending after 30 days or when full eligibility is determined. The bill requires state approval from CMS before implementation and was vetoed by the governor in May 2025, with a legislative override attempt failing.
SB 244 requires all health insurance plans sold in Montana to cover behavioral health screenings and assessments at no cost to the insured. This applies to state employee health plans, disability insurance, health maintenance organizations (HMOs), and self-funded workplace plans. Screenings must use standardized, evidence-based tools, but are optional - insured individuals must actively request them. The bill amends Montana insurance codes to include these coverage requirements, ensuring people can access mental health screenings without out-of-pocket costs when they choose to participate.
HB 832 creates a Montana state grant program to fund training for healthcare providers in nonmedication therapies for treating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The program, administered by the Department of Labor and Industry, awards grants to entities developing 2-year projects that train licensed providers (including Veterans Affairs-certified professionals) in these therapies, develop treatment protocols, and engage in community planning. It appropriates $600,000 from the state general fund for the 2025-2027 biennium as a one-time allocation, requiring grantees to report outcomes like providers trained, patients served, and treatment impact by 2026. The law takes effect July 1, 2025.
SB 394 would have expanded Montana's workers' compensation system to cover posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for eligible first responders. It defines "first responder" to include firefighters, law enforcement officers, detention center/prison staff, and emergency care providers, requiring a diagnosis per the latest DSM-5 manual that links PTSD directly to work duties. The bill amended existing laws to allow PTSD claims under workers' compensation, subject to standard procedural requirements. However, this bill was vetoed by the Governor on June 9, 2025, so it did not become law.
HB 610 would have removed a requirement for prior approval (preauthorization) under Montana's Medicaid program for specific FDA-approved antipsychotic drugs. These drugs must be recognized in the latest DSM-5 as effective for certain mental health conditions. The bill would have directly affected Medicaid patients needing these medications and their healthcare providers, who would no longer need to seek pre-approval for covered antipsychotics. The law would have applied to claims for services provided after its effective date. (Note: The bill was vetoed by the governor and the veto override failed, so this policy change did not take effect.)
SB 521 directs Montana's Department of Public Health and Human Services and Office of Public Instruction to create a plan expanding mental health education to all public schools. The plan must include specific elements like curriculum design, funding support strategies, data collection methods, and cost estimates for addressing issues like bullying, suicide, and substance use. All public schools in Montana would be directly affected if the plan is implemented. The bill requires progress reports by September 2025 and a final plan by May 2026. It mandates the development of a roadmap but does not provide immediate funding or require schools to adopt the program.
SB 136 amends Montana's criminal code (Section 45-2-211, MCA) to state that a patient's consent to physician aid in dying is not a defense to a homicide charge against the physician. The bill defines "physician aid in dying" as a physician prescribing a lethal medication for the patient to self-administer, excluding standard comfort care or withholding life-sustaining treatment. This directly affects physicians who provide such aid, making their actions prosecutable as homicide if consent is claimed as a defense. The law takes effect July 1, 2025, and does not impact existing practices of comfort care or end-of-life treatment under Montana law.
SB 216 creates Montana's Physicians' Workforce Investment Act, establishing a task force to administer grants for health sector facilities (like hospitals) to launch or expand residency and fellowship programs. The grant program provides up to $2 million per facility to support new graduate medical education programs, requiring applicants to submit accreditation plans, 2-year financial projections, and 5-year sustainability strategies. This directly affects Montana hospitals seeking to train medical graduates (those with medical degrees but without residency completion) and aims to address physician shortages by increasing training opportunities. The task force must report annually on grant usage, program locations, specialty fields, and accreditation status to the legislature.
