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Senate Public Health concurs to let physician assistants serve as treating physicians in workers' compensation cases
Summary
The Senate Public Health Committee concurred on House Bill 143, which would make physician assistants eligible to be designated "treating physicians" under Montana's workers' compensation rules, supporters said the change would speed care in rural areas.
Representative Jody Echart, sponsor for House Bill 143, told the Senate Public Health Committee that the bill is a ‘‘simple cleanup’’ to align workers' compensation language with physician assistant independent-practice changes enacted in 2023.
The bill would revise the definition of "treating physician" in the Workers' Compensation Act so physician assistants (PAs) can be named treating physicians regardless of whether other licensed providers are present in the same community. Supporters said PAs already perform much of this care in practice and that the change would shorten delays in obtaining treatment for injured workers.
"This is really a simple cleanup bill," Representative Jody Echart said in opening remarks. Nick Mazanec, speaking on behalf of Montana State Fund, told the committee, "We're really just here to ask the committee to close a provider gap in workers' compensation and, enable injured workers to get the care they need sooner." Mazanec explained that "treating physician" is a legal term used in the claims process and that PAs currently qualify only in some limited circumstances under existing law.
Other proponents included the Montana Self Insurers Association, the Montana Schools Group Interlocal Authority, the Montana Academy of Physician Assistants, the Montana Building Association, the National Federation of Independent Business in Montana and the American Property Casualty Insurance Association. Jennifer Hensley of the Montana Academy of Physician Assistants said there are "1,400 and some odd physician assistants licensed in the state of Montana," and that the change would expand options for injured workers.
Supporters and informational witnesses also pointed to administrative and fiscal implications. Quinlan O'Connor, chief legal counsel for the Department of Labor and Industry, said the department saw logic in the State Fund’s fiscal estimate that increased access to timely local care could reduce claim costs. Representative Echart told the committee that injured Montanans currently face an average of about "37 days to treatment," and said the bill aims to reduce that delay.
The committee later took executive action and concurred with House Bill 143 by voice vote; several senators recorded proxy votes during the roll call.
The bill’s backers said the change does not expand PA medical scope beyond their existing licensing and supervising agreements; it would only allow PAs to occupy the statutory role of treating physician for workers' compensation administration.
