Healthcare

died · Montana · Senate May 23, 2025

SB 140: Adopting the social work licensure compact

SB 140 would adopt Montana into the Social Work Licensure Compact, enabling social workers licensed in Montana (their "home state") to practice in other participating states without obtaining separate licenses. The bill creates a "multistate license" system, allowing licensed social workers to provide services across state lines while maintaining each state's authority to regulate practice and address disciplinary issues in the state where the client is located. This directly affects licensed social workers seeking to practice beyond Montana, particularly those serving military families or addressing workforce shortages in rural areas. The compact aims to reduce licensing barriers, improve access to social work services, and facilitate telehealth practice while preserving state-level regulatory oversight for public safety.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEnables cross-state practice for social workers, improving access to mental health services and aligning with healthcare access goals per bill's multistate license system.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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died · Montana · Senate May 23, 2025

SB 216: Creating the Montana physicians' workforce investment act

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.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareFunds $2M grants for hospitals to expand medical residency programs, directly strengthening physician workforce development and healthcare access in Montana.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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died · Montana · Senate May 23, 2025

SB 372: Establish nurse safe staffing standards

SB 372 establishes minimum nurse-to-patient ratios for Montana hospitals, requiring specific limits in key units (e.g., 1 nurse per critical ER patient, 2 per ICU patient, 4 per medical-surgical unit). It mandates hospitals to create annual staffing plans with input from direct-care nurses, form committees where at least half the members are frontline nurses, and publicly post these plans. Hospitals must track and report actual nurse-to-patient ratios for each shift and unit, ensuring transparency for staff, patients, and the public. The bill directly affects all Montana hospitals licensed by the Department of Public Health, requiring concrete changes to staffing practices and reporting.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates nurse-to-patient ratios for patient safety, requires hospital staffing transparency, and involves frontline nurses in planning - directly strengthening healthcare delivery standards.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentMandates nurse-to-patient ratios and nurse input to improve workplace safety, directly advancing worker protections in healthcare staffing standards.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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died · Montana · Senate May 23, 2025

SB 469: Generally revise laws related to service area authorities

SB 469 would revise Montana's mental health service structure by updating rules for local "service area authorities" that manage community mental health programs. It requires the state Department of Mental Health to provide each service area authority with an annual contract covering administrative costs, crisis services, and community events, while also supporting at least three such authorities. The bill mandates that service area boards be led by majority consumer/family members, establishes new reporting requirements, and removes unfunded mandates requiring local governments to cover costs without state funding. This directly affects local mental health providers, county governments, and communities receiving mental health services across Montana.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill mandates state funding for mental health service areas via annual contracts covering crisis services and community events, strengthening mental health infrastructure and requiring consumer-led boards.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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died · Montana · Senate May 23, 2025

SB 513: Increase capacity in the family education and support services program

SB 513 requires Montana's Department of Public Health and Human Services to expand the Family Education and Support Services Program by July 1, 2026, to serve all qualified families applying to the program - matching the FY2016 service level. The bill mandates annual reports to the legislature detailing program benefits, how families prepare for future healthcare programs, and comparisons between served and unserved families. It takes effect July 1, 2025, and terminates June 30, 2027. This bill directly affects families applying to the program and the state agency administering it.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands family support program to prepare families for healthcare programs, with mandated reporting on healthcare preparation pathways. Subjects include Health Care Services.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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died · Montana · Senate May 23, 2025

SB 295: Restoring the right for injured worker to choose their own doctor.

SB 295 would restore Montana injured workers' right to choose their own treating physician for initial treatment and ongoing care under workers' compensation, without being forced to use a managed care organization (MCO) or preferred provider organization (PPO) without consent. The bill requires insurers to allow workers to select a physician from a designated list for initial treatment and to change physicians with the insurer's approval (with mediation available if approval is denied). It also mandates that insurers provide individual written notice (not workplace postings) before referring workers to an MCO or PPO. This directly affects injured workers seeking medical treatment for work-related injuries in Montana, giving them more control over their healthcare decisions.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRestores injured workers' right to choose treating physician, improving healthcare access without insurer-imposed MCO/PPO restrictions.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRestores injured workers' right to choose physicians under workers' comp, protecting healthcare access and advancing labor rights without forced MCO/PPO use.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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died · Montana · Senate May 23, 2025

SB 554: Generally revise laws related to hospitals operating as nonprofit care facilities

SB 554 (Montana) limits nonprofit hospitals (excluding critical access/rural emergency hospitals) to charging no more than 300% of the Medicare reimbursement rate for Medicare-eligible services. Hospitals exceeding this rate face an escalating excise tax (starting at 25% in 2027 and rising to 50% after 2030) and risk losing nonprofit status. The bill also requires hospitals to maintain written financial assistance and community benefit policies, submit annual reports including IRS Form 990, and comply with new reporting rules. This bill died in process in May 2025 and was never enacted.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesImposes escalating excise tax (25-50%) on hospitals exceeding Medicare rate, generating state revenue through new tax mechanism.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareCaps hospital charges for Medicare services at 300% of Medicare rate, reducing patient costs and enforcing community benefit requirements to improve access.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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died · Montana · Senate May 23, 2025

SB 522: Generally revise medicaid laws to reduce or eliminate waiting lists

SB 522 aimed to reduce or eliminate waiting lists for Medicaid-covered services in Montana by requiring the Department of Health to implement funding changes, apply for federal waivers, and prioritize services like senior care, behavioral health, and dental care. It mandated annual reports tracking waiting list sizes, ongoing efforts to address them, and projected elimination dates. The bill died in committee on May 23, 2025, without becoming law. It did not alter existing Medicaid eligibility but focused on administrative and programmatic solutions to service access delays.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill explicitly aims to reduce Medicaid waiting lists through funding changes, prioritizes health services (behavioral health, dental, senior care), and mandates annual progress reports to improve access - directly advancing healthcare access and ...95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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died · Montana · Senate May 23, 2025

SB 563: Creating the Montana Bridge to Medical Residency Act

SB 563 would create a temporary "provisional resident license" for recent medical school graduates in Montana who have passed initial licensing exams but haven't yet secured a residency position. This license allows them to provide supervised patient care under a licensed physician's direct oversight through a formal collaborative agreement, with a maximum duration of two years total. The bill directly affects new physicians seeking their first clinical roles while awaiting residency placements. It amends Montana's medical licensing laws to establish specific qualifications, fees, and supervision requirements for this temporary license.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEnables provisional medical licensure for new grads awaiting residency, expanding access to healthcare services under supervision.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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died · Montana · Senate May 23, 2025

SB 100: Revise funding for assisted living services

SB 100 establishes new rules for Medicaid payments in Montana's assisted living facilities. It requires the state agency to adjust room and board costs annually based on recipients' income (minus a $100 personal needs allowance) and directs the shift of Medicaid-covered assisted living services from the current "Big Sky Waiver" program to the federal "Community First Choice" program by 2026. The bill mandates quarterly reporting on service usage, waitlists, and costs for both programs. It affects Medicaid-eligible seniors receiving assisted living care, ensuring payments align with income and streamlining service delivery under federal Medicaid options.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareShifts Medicaid services to federal Community First Choice program, expanding access to assisted living care while requiring cost transparency and reporting on service usage.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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