Montana legislation · 2025 Regular Session
Montana SB554: Generally revise laws related to hospitals operating as nonprofit care facilities
Status: Failed, May 23, 2025
What the bill says
A bill for an act entitled: "an act generally revising laws related to hospitals operating as nonprofit health care facilities; limiting what a nonprofit health care facility may charge for a service or item to 300% of the medicare reimbursement rate; creating an excise tax for a facility that charges more than 300% of the medicare reimbursement rate for a service or item; revoking the nonprofit status of a facility that charges more than 300% of the medicare reimbursement rate for a service or item; establishing reporting requirements; providing definitions; providing rulemaking authority…
From the engrossed text:
A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT GENERALLY REVISING LAWS RELATED TO HOSPITALS OPERATING AS NONPROFIT HEALTH CARE FACILITIES; LIMITING WHAT A NONPROFIT HEALTH CARE FACILITY MAY CHARGE FOR A SERVICE OR ITEM TO 300% OF THE MEDICARE REIMBURSEMENT RATE; CREATING AN EXCISE TAX FOR A FACILITY THAT CHARGES MORE THAN 300% OF THE MEDICARE REIMBURSEMENT RATE FOR A SERVICE OR ITEM; REVOKING THE NONPROFIT STATUS OF A FACILITY THAT CHARGES MORE THAN 300% OF THE MEDICARE REIMBURSEMENT RATE FOR A SERVICE OR ITEM; ESTABLISHING REPORTING REQUIREMENTS; PROVIDING DEFINITIONS; PROVIDING RULEMAKING AUTHORITY; AMENDING SECTION 50-5-121, MCA; AND PROVIDING A DELAYED EFFECTIVE DATE." BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA: Section 1. Section 50-5-121, MCA, is amended to read: "50-5-121. Hospital discrimination based on ability to pay prohibited -- community benefit and financial assistance requirements -- nonprofit health care facility requirements -- reporting requirements -- rulemaking authority. (1) A hospital, critical access hospital, or rural emergency hospital must have in writing a policy applying to all patients, including medicaid and medicare patients, that prohibits discrimination based on a patient's ability to pay. (2) A hospital, critical access hospital, or rural emergency hospital may not transfer a patient to another hospital or health care facility based on the patient's ability to pay for health care services. (3) …