Bill > SB100

This bill, called the Senior Care Facility Access and Stabilization Act, aims to revise how room and board costs are calculated for assisted living facility services under Montana's Medicaid program and transition these services from the Big Sky Waiver to the Community First Choice Option program. The bill requires the Department of Public Health and Human Services to annually adjust room and board payments, with specific calculations based on a person's income: for categorically eligible individuals, the payment will equal their monthly Supplemental Security Income minus $100 for personal needs, and for other qualifying individuals, the payment will be their countable gross income minus qualifying Medicaid expenses and $100 for personal needs. The department is directed to apply for a state plan amendment to move assisted living services from the Big Sky Waiver to the Community First Choice Option program by January 1, 2026, with the intent of transferring funding as individuals transition and using any generated savings to serve individuals waiting for home and community-based services. Additionally, the bill mandates quarterly reporting to the health and human services interim budget committee on various program metrics, such as the number of people served, waiting list length, provider participation, and expenditures. The bill includes a contingency that if the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services denies the state plan amendment, the section directing the transition becomes void, and the bill is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

Budget and Finance, Health and Social Services

https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC0978