Montana Recognized for Increasing Access to Affordable, High-Quality Health Care

Frontier Institute outlines impact of reforms signed by Gov. Gianforte in 2021

HELENA, MT - Governor Greg Gianforte on July 23 recognized a new report from the Frontier Institute that shows an increase in access to affordable, high-quality healthcare options for Montanans as a result of reforms passed in 2021.

“In Montana, we’ve increased access to affordable, high-quality health care by reducing red tape and embracing freedom,” Gov. Gianforte said. “Thanks to our work with the Legislature, the number of direct patient care providers has quadrupled, expanding services for Montanans across our state. We’ll continue to unleash the free market to further expand access to affordable health care services so that every Montanan can have more choice in their care.”

During his first legislative session, Gov. Gianforte authorized direct patient care (DPC) agreements in Montana which allowed patients to enter into agreements with doctors and pay them directly for health care services, rather than going through an insurance company.

Through Senate Bill 101, the governor and Montana legislature provided clarity for Montana’s DPC industry and enabled more providers to open new clinics to expand patient choice, especially in rural areas.

According to The Free Market Healthcare Hub, a tool launched in June by the Frontier Institute, the number of health care providers that now operate with the DPC model have quadrupled in the time since the legislation was passed in 2021. As a result, an estimated 12,000 Montanans now access affordable, high-quality healthcare via DPC.

Studies show practices that operate with the DPC model have increased price transparency, stronger patient-doctor relationships, and less red tape to prevent patients from receiving quality care.

The Free Market Healthcare Hub maps where verified DPC clinics are operating in Montana and links to other resources that Montanans can use to shop for health care from providers that embrace price transparency and free market principles. See more about the Frontier Institute tool here.

To read the latest report from the Frontier Institute on Montana’s health care reforms, see here.