EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1376*
HOUSE BILL 1376
J1 5lr2654
By: Delegate Pena–Melnyk
Introduced and read first time: February 7, 2025
Assigned to: Health and Government Operations
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Maryland Department of Health – Provision of Health Care Services – Study 2
FOR the purpose of requiring the Maryland Department of Health to include in a certain 3
contract a requirement that the independent consultant study the current provision 4
of health care services in the State in a certain manner; and generally relating to a 5
study of the provision of health care services in the State. 6
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 7
Chapter 794 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2024 8
Section 1 9
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 10
Chapter 795 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2024 11
Section 1 12
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 13
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 14
Chapter 794 of the Acts of 2024 15
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 16
That: 17
(a) The Maryland Department of Health shall contract with an independent 18
consultant to study the Health Services Cost Review Commission (HSCRC), the Maryland 19
Health Care Commission (MHCC), the Maryland Community Health Resources 20
Commission (MCHRC), and the Maryland Insurance Administration (MIA). 21
(b) In conducting the study required under subsection (a) of this section, the 22
independent contractor shall: 23
2 HOUSE BILL 1376
(1) examine overlap of the statutory and regulatory duties performed by 1
HSCRC, MHCC, MCHRC, and MIA; 2
(2) identify statutory or regulatory duties performed by HSCRC, MHCC, 3
MCHRC, and MIA that may be more appropriately performed by the Depar tment or 4
another commission or agency; 5
(3) identify whether and how HSCRC, MHCC, MCHRC, and MIA could be 6
streamlined to reduce overlap of duties; 7
(4) identify whether and how the functions of HSCRC, MHCC, MCHRC, 8
and MIA could be better aligned to improve effectiveness and efficiency; 9
(5) examine the alignment of the statutory or regulatory duties performed 10
by HSCRC, MHCC, MCHRC, and MIA with the Maryland Total Cost of Care model and 11
the State’s participation in the Advancing All–Payer Health Equity Approaches and 12
Development (AHEAD) model; and 13
(6) recommend any changes in HSCRC, MHCC, MCHRC, and MIA 14
administrative structure that may improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the 15
commission or agency. 16
(c) The independent consultant hired under subsection (a) of this section shall 17
seek input from the Department, HSCRC, MHCC, MCHRC, and MIA in conducting the 18
study. 19
(d) (1) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL INCLUDE IN THE CONTR ACT REQUIRED 20
UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION A RE QUIREMENT THAT THE 21
INDEPENDENT CONSULTA NT STUDY THE CURRENT PROVISION OF HEALTH CARE 22
SERVICES IN THE STATE, INCLUDING PROGRAMS A ND PAYORS , AND MAKE 23
RECOMMENDATIONS TO C ONSOLIDATE PAYORS AN D PROGRAMS IN THE STATE TO 24
MAXIMIZE HEALTH CARE COVERAGE FOR RESIDEN TS OF THE STATE IN 25
CONJUNCTION WITH THE STUDY CONDUCTED UNDE R SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS 26
SECTION. 27
(2) IF THE CONTRACT REQUIRED UNDER SUBSE CTION (A) OF THIS 28
SECTION HAS BEEN ENTERED INT O BEFORE JUNE 1, 2025, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL 29
AMEND THE CONTRACT T O REQUIRE THE STUDY DE SCRIBED IN PARAGRAPH (1) OF 30
THIS SUBSECTION . 31
(E) (1) On or before January 1, 2026, the Department shall report to the 32
Governor and, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, the Senate 33
Finance Committee and the House Health and Government Operations Committee on the 34
results of the study conducted under [subsection] SUBSECTIONS (a) AND (D) of this 35
section. 36
HOUSE BILL 1376 3
(2) THE REPORT REQUIRED U NDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS 1
SUBSECTION SHALL INC LUDE: 2
(I) A COMPREHENSIVE SYNT HESIS OF COMPLETED ANALYSES 3
OF THE STATE’S EXISTING HEALTH CA RE FINANCE AND DELIV ERY SYSTEM , 4
INCLUDING COST , QUALITY, WORKFORCE , AND PROVIDER CONSOLI DATION TRENDS 5
AND THE IMPACT ON TH E STATE’S ABILITY TO PROVIDE ALL MARYLANDERS WITH 6
TIMELY ACCESS TO HIG H–QUALITY, AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE ; 7
(II) A REVIEW OF STRATEGI ES IMPLEMENTED IN OT HER STATES 8
TO ENSURE UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO HEALTH CAR E, INCLUDING COVERAGE 9
EXPANSIONS, COST CONTAINMENT , AND AFFORDABILITY EF FORTS, PROVIDER 10
REIMBURSEMENT POLICI ES, AND DATA AND REPORTI NG TO MONITOR HEALTH CARE 11
DELIVERY SYSTEM PERF ORMANCE; AND 12
(III) RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STRATEGIES THE STATE SHOULD 13
CONSIDER TO ENSURE C OVERAGE AND TIMELY A CCESS TO HIGH QUALIT Y, 14
AFFORDABLE HEALTH CA RE FOR ALL MARYLANDERS , AS WELL AS POTENTIAL 15
FUNDING OPTIONS TO I MPLEMENT THE RECOMMEND ED STRATEGIES . 16
Chapter 795 of the Acts of 2024 17
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 18
That: 19
(a) The Maryland Department of Health shall contract with an independent 20
consultant to study the Health Services Cost Review Commission (HSCRC), the Maryland 21
Health Care Commission (MHCC), the Maryland Community Health Resources 22
Commission (MCHRC), and the Maryland Insurance Administration (MIA). 23
(b) In conducting the study required under subsection (a) of this section, the 24
independent contractor shall: 25
(1) examine overlap of the statutory and regulatory duties performed by 26
HSCRC, MHCC, MCHRC, and MIA; 27
(2) identify statutory or regulatory duties performed by HSCRC, MHCC, 28
MCHRC, and MIA that may be more appropriately performed by the Department or 29
another commission or agency; 30
(3) identify whether and how HSCRC, MHCC, MCHRC, and MIA could be 31
streamlined to reduce overlap of duties; 32
(4) identify whether and how the functions of HSCRC, MHCC, MCHRC, 33
and MIA could be better aligned to improve effectiveness and efficiency; 34
4 HOUSE BILL 1376
(5) examine the alignment of the statutory or regulatory duties performed 1
by HSCRC, MHCC, MCHRC, and MIA with the Maryland Total Cost of Care model and 2
the State’s participation in the Advancing All–Payer Health Equity Approaches and 3
Development (AHEAD) model; and 4
(6) recommend any changes in HSCRC, MHCC, MCHRC, and MIA 5
administrative structure that may improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the 6
commission or agency. 7
(c) The independent consultant hired under subsection (a) of this section shall 8
seek input from the Department, HSCRC, MHCC, MCHRC, and MIA in conducting the 9
study. 10
(d) (1) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL INCL UDE IN THE CONTRACT REQUIRED 11
UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SEC TION A REQUIREMENT THAT THE 12
INDEPENDENT CONSULTA NT STUDY THE CURRENT PROVISION OF HEALTH CARE 13
SERVICES IN THE STATE, INCLUDING PROGRAMS A ND PAYORS , AND MAKE 14
RECOMMENDATIONS TO C ONSOLIDATE PAYORS AN D PROGRAMS IN THE STATE TO 15
MAXIMIZE HEALTH CARE COVERAGE FOR RESIDEN TS OF THE STATE IN 16
CONJUNCTION WITH THE STUDY CONDUCTED UNDE R SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS 17
SECTION. 18
(2) IF THE CONTRACT REQUI RED UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS 19
SECTION HAS BEEN ENT ERED INTO BEFORE JUNE 1, 2025, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL 20
AMEND THE CONTRACT T O REQUIRE THE STUDY DESCRIBED IN PARAGRAPH (1) OF 21
THIS SUBSECTION . 22
(E) (1) On or before January 1, 2026, the Department shall report to the 23
Governor and, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, the Senate 24
Finance Committee and the House Health and Government Operations Committee on the 25
results of the study conducted under [subsection] SUBSECTIONS (a) AND (D) of this 26
section. 27
(2) THE REPORT REQUIRED U NDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS 28
SUBSECTION SHALL INC LUDE: 29
(I) A COMPREHENSIVE SYNT HESIS OF COMPLETED ANALYSES 30
OF THE STATE’S EXISTING HEALTH CA RE FINANCE AND DELIV ERY SYSTEM , 31
INCLUDING COST , QUALITY, WORKFORCE , AND PROVIDER CONSOLI DATION TRENDS 32
AND THE IMPACT ON TH E STATE’S ABILITY TO PROVIDE ALL MARYLANDERS WITH 33
TIMELY ACCESS TO HIG H–QUALITY, AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE ; 34
(II) A REVIEW OF STRATEGI ES IMPLEMENTED IN OT HER STATES 35
TO ENSURE UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO HEALTH CAR E, INCLUDING COVERAGE 36
EXPANSIONS, COST CONTAINMENT , AND AFFORDABILITY EF FORTS, PROVIDER 37 HOUSE BILL 1376 5
REIMBURSEMENT POLICI ES, AND DATA AND REPORTI NG TO MONITOR HEALTH CARE 1
DELIVERY SYSTEM PERF ORMANCE; AND 2
(III) RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STRATEGIES THE STATE SHOULD 3
CONSIDER TO ENSURE C OVERAGE AND TIMELY A CCESS TO HIGH –QUALITY, 4
AFFORDABLE HEALTH CA RE FOR ALL MARYLANDERS , AS WELL AS POTENTIAL 5
FUNDING OPTIONS TO IMPLEMENT THE RECOMM ENDED STRATEGIES . 6
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 7
1, 2025. 8