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Panel discusses medical student support, GME expansion and flexibility for ICOM contract
Summary
OCHE briefed the subcommittee on funding and administration of medical student support programs, the Graduate Medical Education (GME) council's request to expand residency funding, and a bill to remove a statutory requirement tying state contracts to a single out-of-state osteopathic school (ICOM).
The committee heard from OCHE and commissioners’ staff about programs that assist Montana medical students who attend out-of-state medical schools, ongoing Graduate Medical Education (GME) funding requests, and a pending bill that would remove a statutory requirement to contract specifically with the Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM).
OCHE staff described programs in program 2 that subsidize Montana medical students attending schools outside the state and said the office currently prioritizes maintaining those critical positions rather than expanding them. The commissioner said the administration prefers flexibility so state funds can follow Montana students to other osteopathic schools as more in-state options emerge. "Funding ought to be moved to follow Montana students wherever they wanna go," the commissioner told the committee and noted a bill the chair is carrying would eliminate the fixed-contract requirement with the Idaho school.
The committee also discussed a GME proposal to expand residency positions. OCHE said the GME council brought forward a request to increase residency funding and that the office supports it in principle but expects members to prepare a decision package for executive consideration. The request that was mentioned in the hearing totaled roughly $266,000 added cost and about $702,000 for the biennium for residency programs, according to materials described by members.
Members asked how medical student subsidy programs would be administered if expanded to community colleges or tribal colleges; OCHE said such expansions would be administered from the commissioner’s office using the same reporting and reimbursement structure used for MUS campuses.
The chair asked for separate decision-package development where appropriate and indicated that statutory flexibility regarding ICOM would be addressed in the bill the chair is carrying rather than within the budget DPs.
No formal votes were taken; the committee directed staff to develop decision packages and to clarify whether funding changes should be one-time or ongoing for inclusion in the budget.
