The "Montana Patient and Physician Protections in Care Act" seeks to create a legal framework for medical aid in dying for terminally ill patients capable of making their own end-of-life decisions. The bill stipulates that healthcare providers must assess the patient's capacity, ensure that the request for aid in dying is voluntary and informed, and enforce a 48-hour waiting period before the prescription can be filled. It also requires providers to inform patients of all reasonable care options and includes guidelines for the safe disposal of any unused medication. The bill emphasizes that actions taken under its provisions do not equate to suicide, assisted suicide, euthanasia, or homicide.

Furthermore, the bill offers legal protections for healthcare providers involved in medical aid in dying, shielding them from civil or criminal liability when acting in good faith. It introduces new provisions regarding insurance, death certification, and legal liabilities, clarifying that death from self-administered aid in dying medication is not classified as suicide or homicide. Insurers are prohibited from denying or altering benefits based on a patient's request for such medication. Additionally, it allows prescribing providers to sign death certificates attributing the death to the underlying terminal condition and outlines penalties for coercion related to medication requests. The bill also includes a codification instruction to incorporate these provisions into Title 50 of the law.