Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Medical Assistance Program topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Panel hears bill to add chiropractors and veterinarians to Montana Assistance Program
Summary
Lawmakers heard House Bill 867, which would add chiropractors and veterinarians to Montana's Montana Assistance Program (MAP), allowing affected licensees to enter monitored treatment while maintaining their licenses; Department of Labor and Industry estimates about $29,000 in added contract costs split between the two boards. The committee heard largely supportive testimony and no vote was taken.
Representative Greg Oblander introduced House Bill 867, saying the bill would expand the Montana Assistance Program (MAP) to include chiropractors and veterinarians so licensees with substance‑use or mental‑health crises can receive treatment while preserving their ability to work.
"We affectionately just call it the MAP," Oblander said, describing the measure as an adjustment to an existing program.
Sarah Swanson, commissioner of the Department of Labor and Industry, told the Senate Business, Labor and Economic Affairs Committee that MAP is a "regimented monitoring program" designed to "preserve [a practitioner's] license and their ability to work while ensuring that we're also upholding our responsibility for public health and safety." She said the state contracts with a vendor (Maximus) to run the program and estimated HB 867 would add about $29,000 in contract costs, to be split roughly $8,000 for the Board of Chiropractors and $21,000 for the Board of Veterinarians.
Proponents described practical benefits. Brad Griffin, executive director of the Montana Chiropractic Association, and Sheridan Jones, a practicing chiropractor and MCA president, said the option would help colleagues get care without losing licensure. "This is a really smart piece of legislation that allows people who find themselves in the throes of addiction or mental illness to get their life back on track while they still can make a living for their family," Griffin told the committee.
Stewart Doggett of the Montana Veterinary Medical Association said his organization and its roughly 500 members supported the bill and welcomed the program''s audit provisions. Katie Ryan, a veterinarian who called in support, cited high rates of depression and suicide risk among veterinarians and urged lawmakers to vote for the bill.
Kevin Bragg, Bureau Chief for Professional Licensing, answered committee questions about program scale and said the department currently counts about 70 active MAP participants across existing license types (roughly 0.17% of the combined licensee pool). Bragg told senators he expected adding chiropractors and veterinarians would result in "a very nominal amount" of additional participants.
No formal action or vote occurred during the hearing; Representative Oblander closed by asking for the committee's support and the committee concluded the HB 867 portion of the session.
The committee may return to the bill or take formal action at a later date.
