Montana legislation · 2025 Regular Session
Montana HB934: Establish the Senior and Long-Term Care Home and Community-Based Services Access and Stabilization Act
Status: Introduced, April 2, 2025
What the bill says
A bill for an act entitled: "an act creating the senior and long-term care home and community-based services access and stabilization act; requiring the department of public health and human services to pursue the community first choice option program for assisted living services and to use the savings to serve individuals on the big sky waiver program waiting list; establishing procedures for calculating room and board costs for assisted living facility services; establishing reporting requirements; providing an appropriation; providing for contingent voidness…
From the engrossed text:
A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT CREATING THE SENIOR AND LONG-TERM CARE HOME AND COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES ACCESS AND STABILIZATION ACT; REQUIRING THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES TO PURSUE THE COMMUNITY FIRST CHOICE OPTION PROGRAM FOR ASSISTED LIVING SERVICES AND TO USE THE SAVINGS TO SERVE INDIVIDUALS ON THE BIG SKY WAIVER PROGRAM WAITING LIST; ESTABLISHING PROCEDURES FOR CALCULATING ROOM AND BOARD COSTS FOR ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY SERVICES; ESTABLISHING REPORTING REQUIREMENTS; PROVIDING AN APPROPRIATION; PROVIDING FOR CONTINGENT VOIDNESS; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE." WHEREAS, home and community-based services are intended to serve individuals in their own homes and communities instead of in more institutional settings, such as nursing homes and hospitals; and WHEREAS, the Department of Public Health and Human Services' Senior and Long Term Care Division administers a Medicaid waiver program, commonly known as the Big Sky Waiver program, serving aged and disabled individuals as well as the Medicaid Community First Choice Option program; and WHEREAS, there are currently over 300 aged and disabled individuals waiting for services through the Big Sky Waiver program; and WHEREAS, a funding switch of assisted living services from the Big Sky Waiver program to the Community First Choice Option program would save state general funds, which could be used to serve individuals currently waiting for services and thereby significantly …