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Bill would create a Montana Nurse Corps to add voluntary home‑visit nursing capacity; modeled after Physician Corps
Summary
House Bill 558 would create a Montana Nurse Corps, modeled after the existing Physician Corps, to provide volunteer in‑home care to Medicare, Medicaid and uninsured patients who lack access to timely follow‑up care, with sponsor and physicians describing the program as volunteer and intended to fill gaps in rural and underserved areas.
Representative Mary Cafero introduced House Bill 558, which would establish a Montana Nurse Corps modeled after the Montana Physician Corps. The sponsor said the corps would allow nurses to provide volunteer in‑home services to older adults, Medicaid beneficiaries and uninsured Montanans to help them avoid higher levels of care by meeting medical needs in the home.
Physicians and nurses who have participated in the existing Physician Corps described the program’s volunteer nature and said a nursing equivalent would help patients who are homebound, lack transportation, are uninsured, or are economically or geographically isolated. Dr. Colette Kirchhoff testified she has participated in the Physician Corps for a year and called the Nurse Corps “the nurses equivalent” of that work, adding there is strong demand for in‑home follow‑up for patients who otherwise lack access. Nurse practitioner and registered nurse witnesses described cases where home nursing prevented complications and unnecessary emergency care.
The Department of Labor and Industry, which administers the Physician Corps, provided informational testimony and said it would administer the Nurse Corps as well. Sponsors and witnesses emphasized the bill includes limited‑liability protections for volunteers and that the Department of Labor has existing administrative roles for the Physician Corps. Supporters characterized the program as volunteerism to address care gaps; some committee members asked about oversight, board structure, and whether the program duplicates existing services. The sponsor said the corps is intended to complement existing programs and expand access in underserved areas.
No formal opponents were recorded at the hearing; the Department of Labor and industry answered technical questions about administration.
