Montana authorizes comp treatment changes

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte on Wednesday signed legislation allowing physician assistants and physical therapists to serve as injured workers treating physicians.

H.B. 143 allows physician assistants to serve as treating physicians only when there is no licensed physician in the geographic area. The measure also allows physician assistants to conduct impairment ratings only if no licensed physician is available in the area.

The governor also signed S.B. 109, which adds physical therapists to the statutory definition of “treating physician.”

Both measures had unanimous support in both chambers of the legislature.

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