The national private company operating a highly scrutinized addiction monitoring program for nurses, doctors and other medical providers will exit its contract with Montana’s labor department at the end of January 2026, launching a sprint to find a new vendor. The planned departure of Maximus, Inc., was announced by Sarah Swanson, the commissioner of the Department of Labor and Industry, during a Monday morning meeting of a public advisory group tasked with reviewing the assistance program for more than 60,000 medical licensees. The Medical Assistance Program Advisory Council was formed after a critical audit by nonpartisan legislative staff in August and media reporting about participant discontent, including one nurse’s suicide in January reported by Montana Free Press.