HELENA, Mont. (July 16, 2021) – Earlier this year, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte signed a bill into law that will help facilitate healthcare freedom outside of government insurance regulatory schemes.
Sen. Cary Smith (R-Billings) sponsored Senate Bill 101 (SB101). The new law specifies that direct patient care agreements (sometimes called medical retainer agreements) do not constitute insurance, thereby freeing doctors from the onerous requirements and regulations under the state insurance code.
Under the law, any “health care provider” can enter into direct patient care agreements. A health care provider is broadly defined as a person “licensed, certified, or otherwise authorized by the laws of this state to provide health care in the ordinary course of business or practice of a profession. This includes not only physicians, but also dentists, dermatologists, psychiatrists and other medical professionals.