- 2025
69th Legislature 2025 HB 585
- 1 - Authorized Print Version – HB 585
ENROLLED BILL
AN ACT DEFINING THE MEDICAID REIMBURSEMENT CONVERSION FACTOR FOR PHYSICAL
THERAPIST, SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST, AND OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST SERVICES;
REVISING DEFINITIONS; PROVIDING RULEMAKING AUTHORITY; AMENDING SECTION 53-6-124, MCA;
AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.”
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
Section 1.
services reimbursement. (1) The fee for a covered service provided by a physical therapist, speech-language
pathologist, or occupational therapist under the medicaid program is determined by multiplying the conversion
factor times the relative value unit for that service times any applicable policy adjusters.
(2) (a) For state fiscal year 2026, the conversion factor is $39.56.
(b) For each subsequent fiscal year, the department may adjust the conversion factor upward in a
manner to achieve an overall change in provider expenditures equivalent to the consumer price index for
medical care for the previous year, as calculated by the bureau of labor statistics of the United States
department of labor.
Section 2. Section 53-6-124, MCA, is amended to read:
"53-6-124. As used in 53-6-125, 53-6-127, [section 1], and this section, the following
definitions apply:
(1) "Conversion factor" means the dollar value that is multiplied by the appropriate relative value
unit to calculate a price for a service provided by a physician, physical therapist, speech-language pathologist,
or occupational therapist.
(2) "Department" means the department of public health and human services. - 2025
69th Legislature 2025 HB 585
- 2 - Authorized Print Version – HB 585
ENROLLED BILL
(3) "Medicaid" means the Montana medical assistance program established under Title 53, chapter
6.
(4) "Occupational therapist" has the same meaning as provided in 37-24-103.
(5) "Physical therapist" has the same meaning as provided in 37-11-101.
(4)(6) "Physician" has the meaning provided in 37-3-102.
(5)(7) "Policy adjuster" means a factor by which the fee determined under 53-6-125 or [section 1] is
multiplied to increase the fee paid by medicaid for certain categories of services.
(6)(8) "Relative value unit" means a numerical value assigned in the resource-based relative value
scale to each procedure code used to bill for services provided by a physician, physical therapist, speech-
language pathologist, or occupational therapist.
(7)(9) "Resource-based relative value scale" means the medicare resource-based relative value scale
contained in the physician's medicare fee schedule adopted by the centers for medicare and medicaid services
of the U.S. department of health and human services.
(10) "Speech-language pathologist" has the same meaning as provided in 37-15-102."
Section 3. [Section 1] is intended to be codified as an integral part of Title
53, chapter 6, part 1, and the provisions of Title 53, chapter 6, part 1, apply to [section 1].
Section 4. [This act] is effective July 1, 2025.
- END - I hereby certify that the within bill,
HB 585, originated in the House.
___________________________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
___________________________________________
Speaker of the House
Signed this _______________________________day
of____________________________________, 2025.
___________________________________________
President of the Senate
Signed this _______________________________day
of____________________________________, 2025. HOUSE BILL NO. 585
INTRODUCED BY E. BUTTREY, S. NOVAK, W. MCKAMEY, K. SULLIVAN
AN ACT DEFINING THE MEDICAID REIMBURSEMENT CONVERSION FACTOR FOR PHYSICAL
THERAPIST, SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST, AND OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST SERVICES;
REVISING DEFINITIONS; PROVIDING RULEMAKING AUTHORITY; AMENDING SECTION 53-6-124, MCA;
AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.”