EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*hb1351*
HOUSE BILL 1351
J5 5lr3352
CF 5lr3641
By: Delegate Ghrist Delegates Ghrist, Alston, Bagnall, Bhandari, Chisholm,
Cullison, Guzzone, Hill, Hutchinson, S. Johnson, Kaiser, Kerr, Kipke,
Lopez, Martinez, M. Morgan, Pena–Melnyk, Reilly, Rosenberg, Ross,
Szeliga, Taveras, White Holland, Woods, and Woorman
Introduced and read first time: February 7, 2025
Assigned to: Health and Government Operations
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 6, 2025
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Health Insurance – Provider Panels – Credentialing for Behavioral Health Care 2
Professionals 3
FOR the purpose of altering the period of time in which certain carriers are required to 4
accept or deny certain social workers, counselors, therapists, and psychology 5
associates for participation on the carrier’s provider panel; and generally relating to 6
and the credentialing of behavioral health care professionals for health insurance 7
provider panels. 8
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 9
Article – Insurance 10
Section 15–112(g) 11
Annotated Code of Maryland 12
(2017 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 13
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 14
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 15
Article – Insurance 16
15–112. 17
2 HOUSE BILL 1351
(g) (1) A provider that seeks to participate on a provider panel of a carrier shall 1
submit an application to the carrier. 2
(2) (i) Subject to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph and paragraph (3) 3
of this subsection, the carrier, after reviewing the application, shall accept or reject the 4
provider for participation on the carrier’s provider panel. 5
(ii) A carrier may not reject a provider who provides 6
community–based health services for a program accredited under COMAR 10.63.02 for 7
participation on the carrier’s provider panel because the provider practices within the scope 8
of the provider’s license and is: 9
1. a licensed graduate social worker or a licensed master 10
social worker, as those terms are defined in § 19–101 of the Health Occupations Article; 11
2. a licensed graduate alcohol and drug counselor, a licensed 12
graduate marriage and family therapist, a licensed graduate professional art therapist, or 13
a licensed graduate professional counselor, as those terms are defined in § 17–101 of the 14
Health Occupations Article; or 15
3. a registered psychology associate, as defined in § 18–101 16
of the Health Occupations Article. 17
(iii) If the carrier rejects the provider for participation on the carrier’s 18
provider panel, the carrier shall send to the provider at the address listed in the application 19
written notice of the rejection. 20
(3) (i) [Subject] EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN SUBPARAGRAPH (IV) OF 21
THIS PARAGRAPH AND S UBJECT to paragraph (4) of this subsection, within 30 days after 22
the date a carrier receives a completed application, the carrier shall send to the provider at 23
the address listed in the application written notice of: 24
1. the carrier’s intent to continue to process the provider’s 25
application to obtain necessary credentialing information; or 26
2. the carrier’s rejection of the provider for participation on 27
the carrier’s provider panel. 28
(ii) The failure of a carrier to provide the notice required under 29
subparagraph (i) of this paragraph is a violation of this article and the carrier is subject to 30
the penalties provided by § 4–113(d) of this article. 31
(iii) Except as provided in subsection (v) of this section AND 32
SUBPARAGRAPH (IV) OF THIS PARAGRAPH , if, under subparagraph (i)1 of this 33
paragraph, a carrier provides notice to the provider of its intent to continue to process the 34
provider’s application to obtain necessary credentialing information, the carrier, within 120 35
days after the date the notice is provided, shall: 36 HOUSE BILL 1351 3
1. accept or reject the provider for participation on the 1
carrier’s provider panel; and 2
2. send written notice of the acceptance or rejection to the 3
provider at the address listed in the application. 4
(IV) FOR A PROVIDER DESCRI BED IN PARAGRAPH (2)(II) OF THIS 5
SUBSECTION, A LICENSED CERTIFIED SOCIAL WORKER –CLINICAL, OR A LICENSED 6
CLINICAL PROFESSIONA L COUNSELOR IF, UNDER SUBPARAGRAPH (I)1 OF THIS 7
PARAGRAPH , A CARRIER PROVIDES N OTICE TO THE PROVIDE R OF ITS INTENT TO 8
CONTINUE TO PROCESS THE PROVIDER ’S APPLICATION TO OBT AIN NECESSARY 9
CREDENTIALING INFORM ATION, WITHIN 30 60 DAYS AFTER THE DATE A CARRIER 10
RECEIVES A COMPLETED APPLICATION, THE CARRIER SHALL : 11
1. ACCEPT OR REJECT THE PROVIDER FOR 12
PARTICIPATION ON THE CARRIER’S PROVIDER PANEL ; AND 13
2. SEND WRITTEN NOTICE OF THE ACCEPTANCE OR 14
REJECTION TO THE PRO VIDER AT THE ADDRESS LISTED IN THE APPLIC ATION. 15
[(iv)] (V) The failure of a carrier to provide the notice required 16
under subparagraph (iii)2 OR (IV) of this paragraph is a violation of this article and the 17
carrier is subject to the provisions of and penalties provided by §§ 4–113 and 4–114 of this 18
article. 19
(4) (i) 1. Except as provided in subsubparagraph 4 of this 20
subparagraph, a carrier that receives a complete application shall notify the provider that 21
the application is complete. 22
2. If a carrier does not accept applications through the online 23
credentialing system, notice shall be given to the provider at the address listed in the 24
application within 10 days after the date the application is received. 25
3. If a carrier accepts applications through the online 26
credentialing system, the notice from the online credentialing system to the provider that 27
the carrier has received the provider’s application shall be considered notice that the 28
application is complete. 29
4. This subparagraph does not apply to a carrier that 30
arranges a dental provider panel until the Commissioner certifies that the online 31
credentialing system is capable of accepting the uniform credentialing form designated by 32
the Commissioner for dental provider panels. 33
4 HOUSE BILL 1351
(ii) 1. A carrier that receives an incomplete application shall 1
return the application to the provider at the address listed in the application within 10 days 2
after the date the application is received. 3
2. The carrier shall indicate to the provider what information 4
is needed to make the application complete. 5
3. The provider may return the completed application to the 6
carrier. 7
4. After the carrier receives the completed application, the 8
carrier is subject to the time periods established in paragraph (3) of this subsection. 9
(5) A carrier may charge a reasonable fee for an application submitted to 10
the carrier under this section. 11
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 12
October 1, 2025. 13
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.