27-6-401. Composition of panel. (1) Those eligible to sit on the panel are health care providers licensed pursuant to Montana law and residing in Montana and the members of the state bar of Montana. Six panel members shall sit in review of each case. Three panel members who are physicians and three panel members who are attorneys shall sit in review of each case in which the claim is heard only against one or more physicians. Three panel members who are dentists and three panel members who are attorneys shall sit in review of each case in which the claim is heard only against one or more dentists. Three panel members who are podiatrists and three panel members who are attorneys shall sit in review of each case in which the claim is heard only against one or more podiatrists. If the claim is heard only against one or more health care facilities, two of the panel members must be administrators of the same type of health care facility or facilities, one panel member must be a physician, and three panel members must be attorneys.

(2) In all other cases, two of the panel members must be physicians, one panel member must be an administrator of the same type of health care facility, and three panel members must be attorneys, except that when a claim is heard against a dentist, a dentist must be substituted for one of the physicians on the panel and when a claim is heard against a podiatrist, a podiatrist must be substituted for one of the physicians on the panel.