Committee hears and advances Montana Nurses Corps bill to expand in‑home nursing for low‑income and uninsured patients

Representative Mary Cafaro told the committee House Bill 558 would establish a Montana Nurses Corps modeled on the Montana Physicians Corps. The program would authorize licensed nurses to provide in‑home care for people covered by Medicare, Medicaid, low‑income or uninsured, charging a nominal $10 fee while being able to submit claims for reimbursement.

Proponents included Matt Kuntz (NAMI Montana), physicians who currently participate in the Physicians Corps such as Colette Kirchhoff and Cindy Sharp, and nurse practitioners and nurse clinicians who testified that the program expands access to essential follow‑up care, helps prevent readmissions and emergency‑room usage, and supports aging‑in‑place for Montana’s growing older population.

Witnesses cited a Legislative Fiscal Division report on Montana’s changing demographics showing the share of residents 65 and older increasing and urged that in‑home nursing can reduce high‑cost care. Representative Cafaro said the bill mirrors the Physicians Corps; the department worked with the sponsor on clarifying amendments during the hearing and the sponsor placed the bill on the committee’s executive calendar.

Nut graf: Supporters said a Montana Nurses Corps would use nursing expertise to deliver low‑cost in‑home care for vulnerable Montanans, potentially preventing costly hospital readmissions and supporting rural access to care. The committee placed the bill on the executive calendar and later moved it out of committee in executive action.

Implementation and fiscal considerations were discussed: department staff described working with the sponsor on amendments and the sponsor said program operation is modeled on the existing Physicians Corps. The committee advanced the bill to executive action and it subsequently passed committee and will move to the House floor.