Montana Governor Greg Gianforte signed House Bill 143 and Senate Bill 109 into law, which will allow physician assistants and physical therapists respectively to serve as injured worker treating physicians.

Physician assistants would only be allowed to serve as treating physicians if there are no licensed physicians in the geographic area. Physician assistants would be able to conduct impairment ratings in these scenarios.

Physical therapists licensed by the state of Montana would now be included in the definition of a “treating physician” who is primarily responsible for delivery and coordination of a worker’s medical services for the treatment of a worker’s compensable injury or occupational disease.

The passage of these bills is an effort to expand access to care for injured workers, preventing delays when faced with a shortage of providers that could lead to suboptimal claims outcomes.