Montana legislation · 2025 Regular Session
Montana SB449: Generally revise health utilization review laws
Status: Signed into law, May 13, 2025
What the bill says
An act generally revising health utilization review laws; providing for continuing approval for enrollees changing health plans; generally prohibiting prior authorization for prescriptions written at discharge from inpatient care; generally prohibiting retroactive denial; providing requirements for accepting and responding to prior authorization requests; providing a definition; and providing an applicability date.
From the engrossed text:
AN ACT GENERALLY REVISING HEALTH UTILIZATION REVIEW LAWS; PROVIDING FOR CONTINUING APPROVAL FOR ENROLLEES CHANGING HEALTH PLANS; GENERALLY PROHIBITING PRIOR AUTHORIZATION FOR PRESCRIPTIONS WRITTEN AT DISCHARGE FROM INPATIENT CARE; GENERALLY PROHIBITING RETROACTIVE DENIAL; PROVIDING REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCEPTING AND RESPONDING TO PRIOR AUTHORIZATION REQUESTS; PROVIDING A DEFINITION; AND PROVIDING AN APPLICABILITY DATE. Section 1. Continuity of approval for enrollees changing health plans. (1) On receipt of information documenting a prior authorization of approval from an enrollee or from the enrollee's health care professional or health care provider, a health insurance issuer or its contracted utilization review organization shall honor a prior authorization granted to an enrollee from a previous health insurance issuer or its contracted utilization review organization for at least the initial 90 days of an enrollee's coverage under a new health plan, subject to the terms of the member's coverage agreement. (2) During the time period described in section (1), a health insurance issuer or its contracted utilization review organization may perform its own review to grant a prior authorization approval subject to the terms of the member's coverage agreement. (3) If there is a change in coverage of or approval criteria for a previously authorized health care service, the change in coverage or approval criteria does not affect an enrollee who received prior authorization approval before the effective …
Sponsors
- Ricci, Vince (R, 27) · primary sponsor
- Carter, Bob (D, 96)
Latest actions
- : Chapter Number Assigned
- : (S) Signed by Governor
- : (S) Transmitted to Governor
- : (H) Signed by Speaker
- : (S) Signed by President
- : (S) Returned from Enrolling
- : (S) Sent to Enrolling
- : (S) 3rd Reading House Amendments
- : (S) Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- : (S) 2nd Reading House Amendments
Votes
- Do Pass (April 15, 2025): 50 yea, 0 nay, passed
- Do Pass (April 14, 2025): 49 yea, 0 nay, passed
- Do Concur (April 11, 2025): 99 yea, 0 nay, passed
- Do Concur (April 11, 2025): 99 yea, 0 nay, passed
- Do Pass (March 6, 2025): 49 yea, 0 nay, passed
- Do Pass (March 6, 2025): 50 yea, 0 nay, passed
Subjects: Insurance, Health Care Services
Common questions
- What is SB449?
- SB449 is a bill in the Montana Legislature (2025 Regular Session): Generally revise health utilization review laws.
- What does SB449 do?
- In its own words: An act generally revising health utilization review laws; providing for continuing approval for enrollees changing health plans; generally prohibiting prior authorization for prescriptions written at discharge from inpatient care; generally prohibiting retroactive denial; providing requirements for accepting and responding to prior authorization requests; providing a definition; and providing an applicability date.
- What is the status of SB449?
- Signed into law as of May 13, 2025. Latest action: Chapter Number Assigned (May 13, 2025).
- Who sponsored SB449?
- Ricci, Vince (R, 27), with 1 co-sponsor.
- Where is the official record for SB449?
- On the Montana Legislature website: https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC3200
Source: official Montana record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.