Montana legislation · 2025 Regular Session
Montana HB544: Generally revise health insurance laws relating to health utilization review
Status: Signed into law, May 5, 2025
What the bill says
An act generally revising health utilization review laws; prohibiting retroactive denials under certain circumstances; providing biologic prescriptions for minors; applying to certain entities; amending section 2-18-704, mca; and providing a delayed effective date and an applicability date.
From the engrossed text:
AN ACT GENERALLY REVISING HEALTH UTILIZATION REVIEW LAWS; PROHIBITING RETROACTIVE DENIALS UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES; PROVIDING BIOLOGIC PRESCRIPTIONS FOR MINORS; APPLYING TO CERTAIN ENTITIES; AMENDING SECTION 2-18-704, MCA; AND PROVIDING A DELAYED EFFECTIVE DATE AND AN APPLICABILITY DATE. Section 1. Retroactive denials prohibited. When prior approval for a covered service is required and obtained by or on behalf of a covered person and the covered person undergoes the covered service, the approval is final and the health insurance issuer may not rescind approval after the covered service has been provided. This section does not apply to cases of fraud, misrepresentation, nonpayment of premium, exhaustion of benefits, if the covered person for whom the prior approval was granted is not covered when the service was provided, or if the covered service provided was not the same covered service that received prior approval, unless it was necessary and incidental. Section 2. Biologic prescriptions for minors. (1) Biologic therapies may be prescribed by a treating provider for individuals under 18 years of age as provided in this section. The biologic therapies must meet the following requirements: (a) the biologic therapies must be approved by the U.S. food and drug administration for use on adults, but need not be approved for use on persons under 18 years of age; and (b) the biologic therapies must …
Sponsors
- Buttrey, Ed (R, 21) · primary sponsor
- Trebas, Jeremy (R, 10)
Latest actions
- : Chapter Number Assigned
- : (H) Signed by Governor
- : (H) Transmitted to Governor
- : (S) Signed by President
- : (H) Signed by Speaker
- : (H) Returned from Enrolling
- : (H) Sent to Enrolling
- : (S) 3rd Reading
- : (S) Scheduled for 3rd Reading
- : (S) 2nd Reading
Votes
- Do Concur (April 10, 2025): 48 yea, 0 nay, passed
- Do Concur (April 9, 2025): 46 yea, 0 nay, passed
- Do Pass (March 4, 2025): 88 yea, 11 nay, passed
- Do Pass (March 3, 2025): 85 yea, 14 nay, passed
Subjects: Insurance, Health
Common questions
- What is HB544?
- HB544 is a bill in the Montana Legislature (2025 Regular Session): Generally revise health insurance laws relating to health utilization review.
- What does HB544 do?
- In its own words: An act generally revising health utilization review laws; prohibiting retroactive denials under certain circumstances; providing biologic prescriptions for minors; applying to certain entities; amending section 2-18-704, mca; and providing a delayed effective date and an applicability date.
- What is the status of HB544?
- Signed into law as of May 5, 2025. Latest action: Chapter Number Assigned (May 5, 2025).
- Who sponsored HB544?
- Buttrey, Ed (R, 21), with 1 co-sponsor.
- Where is the official record for HB544?
- On the Montana Legislature website: https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC1961
Source: official Montana record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.