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69th Legislature 2025 HB 585.1
- 1 - Authorized Print Version – HB 585
1 HOUSE BILL NO. 585
2 INTRODUCED BY E. BUTTREY, S. NOVAK, W. MCKAMEY, K. SULLIVAN
3
4 A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: “AN ACT DEFINING THE MEDICAID REIMBURSEMENT CONVERSION
5 FACTOR FOR PHYSICAL THERAPIST, SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST, AND OCCUPATIONAL
6 THERAPIST SERVICES; REVISING DEFINITIONS; PROVIDING RULEMAKING AUTHORITY; AMENDING
7 SECTION 53-6-124, MCA; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.”
8
9 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
10
11 NEW SECTION. Section 1.
12
13 speech-language pathologist, or occupational therapist under the medicaid program is determined by
14 multiplying the conversion factor times the relative value unit for that service times any applicable policy
15 adjusters.
16 (2) (a) For state fiscal year 2026, the conversion factor is $39.56.
17 (b) For each subsequent fiscal year, the conversion factor must be increased, at a minimum, by
18 the same percentage increase as the consumer price index for medical care for the previous year, as
19 calculated by the bureau of labor statistics of the United States department of labor.
20
21 Section 53-6-124, MCA, is amended to read:
22 "53-6-124.
23 definitions apply:
24 (1) "Conversion factor" means the dollar value that is multiplied by the appropriate relative value
25 unit to calculate a price for a service provided by a physician, physical therapist, speech-language pathologist,
26 or occupational therapist.
27 (2) "Department" means the department of public health and human services.
28 (3) "Medicaid" means the Montana medical assistance program established under Title 53, chapter ****
69th Legislature 2025 HB 585.1
- 2 - Authorized Print Version – HB 585
1 6.
2 (4) "Occupational therapist" has the same meaning as provided in 37-24-103.
3 (5) "Physical therapist" has the same meaning as provided in 37-11-101.
4 (4)(6) "Physician" has the meaning provided in 37-3-102.
5 (5)(7) "Policy adjuster" means a factor by which the fee determined under 53-6-125 or [section 1] is
6 multiplied to increase the fee paid by medicaid for certain categories of services.
7 (6)(8) "Relative value unit" means a numerical value assigned in the resource-based relative value
8 scale to each procedure code used to bill for services provided by a physician, physical therapist, speech-
9 language pathologist, or occupational therapist.
10 (7)(9) "Resource-based relative value scale" means the medicare resource-based relative value scale
11 contained in the physician's medicare fee schedule adopted by the centers for medicare and medicaid services
12 of the U.S. department of health and human services.
13 (10) "Speech-language pathologist" has the same meaning as provided in 37-15-102."
14
15 NEW SECTION. Section 3. [Section 1] is intended to be codified as an
16 integral part of Title 53, chapter 6, part 1, and the provisions of Title 53, chapter 6, part 1, apply to [section 1].
17
18 NEW SECTION. Section 4. [This act] is effective July 1, 2025.
19 - END -