Healthcare

died · Montana · Senate May 23, 2025

SB 483: Generally revise health care laws

SB 483 would revise Montana's health care laws by adding specific definitions to clarify insurance coverage processes, particularly around "step therapy" protocols. It directly affects health insurance issuers, providers, and patients by standardizing terms like "adverse determination" (denials of coverage), "clinical peer" reviews, and "step therapy" requirements. Key provisions define how insurers must review coverage requests, including requiring medical necessity justifications and establishing clearer pathways for appeals. The bill focuses on improving transparency in insurance decision-making without creating new benefits or funding. (Note: This bill died in process on May 23, 2025, and did not become law.)

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareStandardizes insurance definitions and mandates medical necessity justifications for coverage, protecting patients from arbitrary denials and improving access to care.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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died · Montana · Senate May 23, 2025

SB 417: Generally revise laws relating to insurance coverage relating to obesity prevention

SB 417 would require most Montana health insurance plans to cover certain injectable medicines prescribed for glucose control or weight loss in adults diagnosed with prediabetes, gestational diabetes, or obesity. Coverage must be deemed medically necessary by a physician and requires participants to join a lifestyle management program to continue treatment. The bill applies to individual and group health insurance policies but excludes Medicare Advantage plans. It amends Montana insurance law to mandate this coverage as a standard benefit.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill mandates insurance coverage for obesity/diabetes treatments, expanding access to prescribed medicines and requiring medically necessary care, aligning with healthcare access expansion indicators.95% 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 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 479: Generally revise laws related to chemical abortion

SB 479 proposes to revise Montana laws around chemical abortion by requiring health care providers to physically examine patients, be present during administration, schedule a follow-up within 7 days, and provide disposal kits (catch kits and medical waste bags) for patients to return used materials. It holds manufacturers of abortion drugs responsible for environmental cleanup if drug byproducts contaminate wastewater systems, with fines up to $20,000 per violation. The bill exempts life-threatening medical emergencies and prohibits prosecuting patients for violations. This legislation directly affects health care providers prescribing abortion drugs and pharmaceutical manufacturers, with penalties including felony charges for providers violating the requirements. The bill died in process in May 2025 and was never enacted.

Topics ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareRestricts access to chemical abortion via mandatory provider presence and follow-ups, limiting patient access to a healthcare service95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✓ Supports Healthcare

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died · Montana · Senate May 23, 2025

SB 354: Prohibit purchase of soft drinks and candy with SNAP benefits

SB 354, the "Montana Healthy SNAP Act," would require Montana's Department of Public Health to request a federal waiver prohibiting the use of SNAP benefits (formerly food stamps) to buy soft drinks and candy. The bill directly affects SNAP recipients in Montana by restricting purchases of these items, which the legislature states are the most commonly bought non-nutritious items with SNAP funds. Key provisions include mandating a federal waiver request with a public health justification, an implementation plan for retailers, and annual reporting on spending patterns and health impacts. The bill defines "candy" as non-refrigerated sweet items and "soft drinks" as nonalcoholic sweetened beverages (excluding milk-based drinks or juices with >50% fruit/veg content).

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRestricts SNAP use for unhealthy items to improve public health outcomes, aligning with public health program goals through nutrition policy.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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died · Montana · Senate May 23, 2025

SB 438: Revise telehealth and telemedicine laws

SB 438 establishes a registration system for out-of-state health care providers offering telehealth services to Montana patients. It requires these providers to register with Montana’s Department of Labor and Industry if they hold an active license in another state, have no recent disciplinary actions, and meet scope-of-practice standards. The bill mandates providers to notify Montana authorities within 5 business days of any disciplinary action against their license in another state and allows Montana to impose disciplinary actions like registration suspension for noncompliance. It also defines key terms like "asynchronous" and "synchronous" telehealth and designates patient location as the venue for legal actions. The bill directly affects out-of-state telehealth providers, not patients, by creating new administrative and compliance requirements.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill establishes registration for out-of-state telehealth providers, ensuring quality/safety standards and enabling expanded patient access to telehealth services.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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died · Montana · Senate May 23, 2025

SB 448: Generally revise laws related to payments made by health carriers

SB 448, a health insurance payment reform bill, requires Montana health carriers (insurance companies) to pay "clean claims" from healthcare providers within 14 days for electronic submissions or 30 days for paper submissions. It defines a "clean claim" as one with all required documentation and no errors, and mandates that carriers notify providers of missing information within 10 days if a claim is incomplete. The bill also establishes penalties for late payments due to carrier errors and allows providers to pursue legal action if payments are delayed unlawfully. This directly affects healthcare providers (hospitals, doctors, labs), health carriers, and enrollees by streamlining payment processes and reducing billing delays.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires timely insurance payments to providers, reduces administrative delays, and protects provider rights through penalties for late payments, improving healthcare system efficiency.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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died · Montana · House May 22, 2025

HB 364: Generally revise laws related to immunizations

HB 364 proposes to update laws concerning student immunizations and exemptions in K-12 schools. It would require school governing authorities to submit written reports on student immunization and exemption data to state and local health departments. These reports must only contain deidentified or aggregate information, ensuring student privacy. The Department of Public Health and Human Services would determine the specific form and schedule for these reports.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires school immunization data reporting for public health oversight, strengthening disease prevention efforts under healthcare policy.90% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyRequires deidentified health data reporting to protect student privacy, aligning with tech policy data protection standards.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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died · Montana · House May 22, 2025

HB 377: Generally revise access by parent to child patient health care information

HB 377 revises Montana law to ensure parents generally have access to their minor child's health care records. It requires health providers to give parents access to a child's health information within 3 days of a request (or provide contact details for the records' location), with exceptions for court-limited parental rights, child abuse investigations, or government guardianship. The bill also clarifies that minors who can consent to certain care (like mental health services) have exclusive control over information related to that specific care, removing a minor's ability to enforce privacy violations by non-HIPAA-covered providers. This primarily affects parents, minors seeking care without parental consent, and health care providers managing minors' records.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill clarifies parental access to minor's health records while protecting minors' privacy in mental health services, supporting patient rights in healthcare.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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