Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HB1376 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3	EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
4	4	[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
5	5	hb1376
6	6
7	7	HOUSE BILL 1376
8	8	J1 5lr2654
9	9
10	10	By: Delegate Pena–Melnyk
11	11	Introduced and read first time: February 7, 2025
12	12	Assigned to: Health and Government Operations
13	13
14	14	A BILL ENTITLED
15	15
16	16	AN ACT concerning 1
17	17
18	18	Maryland Department of Health – Provision of Health Care Services – Study 2
19	19
20	20	FOR the purpose of requiring the Maryland Department of Health to include in a certain 3
21	21	contract a requirement that the independent consultant study the current provision 4
22	22	of health care services in the State in a certain manner; and generally relating to a 5
23	23	study of the provision of health care services in the State. 6
24	24
25	25	BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 7
26	26	Chapter 794 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2024 8
27	27	Section 1 9
28	28
29	29	BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 10
30	30	Chapter 795 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2024 11
31	31	Section 1 12
32	32
33	33	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 13
34	34	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 14
35	35
36	36	Chapter 794 of the Acts of 2024 15
37	37
38	38	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 16
39	39	That: 17
40	40
41	41	(a) The Maryland Department of Health shall contract with an independent 18
42	42	consultant to study the Health Services Cost Review Commission (HSCRC), the Maryland 19
43	43	Health Care Commission (MHCC), the Maryland Community Health Resources 20
44	44	Commission (MCHRC), and the Maryland Insurance Administration (MIA). 21
45	45
46	46	(b) In conducting the study required under subsection (a) of this section, the 22
47	47	independent contractor shall: 23
48	48	2 HOUSE BILL 1376
49	49
50	50
51	51	(1) examine overlap of the statutory and regulatory duties performed by 1
52	52	HSCRC, MHCC, MCHRC, and MIA; 2
53	53
54	54	(2) identify statutory or regulatory duties performed by HSCRC, MHCC, 3
55	55	MCHRC, and MIA that may be more appropriately performed by the Depar tment or 4
56	56	another commission or agency; 5
57	57
58	58	(3) identify whether and how HSCRC, MHCC, MCHRC, and MIA could be 6
59	59	streamlined to reduce overlap of duties; 7
60	60
61	61	(4) identify whether and how the functions of HSCRC, MHCC, MCHRC, 8
62	62	and MIA could be better aligned to improve effectiveness and efficiency; 9
63	63
64	64	(5) examine the alignment of the statutory or regulatory duties performed 10
65	65	by HSCRC, MHCC, MCHRC, and MIA with the Maryland Total Cost of Care model and 11
66	66	the State’s participation in the Advancing All–Payer Health Equity Approaches and 12
67	67	Development (AHEAD) model; and 13
68	68
69	69	(6) recommend any changes in HSCRC, MHCC, MCHRC, and MIA 14
70	70	administrative structure that may improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the 15
71	71	commission or agency. 16
72	72
73	73	(c) The independent consultant hired under subsection (a) of this section shall 17
74	74	seek input from the Department, HSCRC, MHCC, MCHRC, and MIA in conducting the 18
75	75	study. 19
76	76
77	77	(d) (1) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL INCLUDE IN THE CONTR ACT REQUIRED 20
78	78	UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION A RE QUIREMENT THAT THE 21
79	79	INDEPENDENT CONSULTA NT STUDY THE CURRENT PROVISION OF HEALTH CARE 22
80	80	SERVICES IN THE STATE, INCLUDING PROGRAMS A ND PAYORS , AND MAKE 23
81	81	RECOMMENDATIONS TO C ONSOLIDATE PAYORS AN D PROGRAMS IN THE STATE TO 24
82	82	MAXIMIZE HEALTH CARE COVERAGE FOR RESIDEN TS OF THE STATE IN 25
83	83	CONJUNCTION WITH THE STUDY CONDUCTED UNDE R SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS 26
84	84	SECTION. 27
85	85
86	86	(2) IF THE CONTRACT REQUIRED UNDER SUBSE CTION (A) OF THIS 28
87	87	SECTION HAS BEEN ENTERED INT O BEFORE JUNE 1, 2025, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL 29
88	88	AMEND THE CONTRACT T O REQUIRE THE STUDY DE SCRIBED IN PARAGRAPH (1) OF 30
89	89	THIS SUBSECTION . 31
90	90
91	91	(E) (1) On or before January 1, 2026, the Department shall report to the 32
92	92	Governor and, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, the Senate 33
93	93	Finance Committee and the House Health and Government Operations Committee on the 34
94	94	results of the study conducted under [subsection] SUBSECTIONS (a) AND (D) of this 35
95	95	section. 36
96	96	HOUSE BILL 1376 3
97	97
98	98
99	99	(2) THE REPORT REQUIRED U NDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS 1
100	100	SUBSECTION SHALL INC LUDE: 2
101	101
102	102	(I) A COMPREHENSIVE SYNT HESIS OF COMPLETED ANALYSES 3
103	103	OF THE STATE’S EXISTING HEALTH CA RE FINANCE AND DELIV ERY SYSTEM , 4
104	104	INCLUDING COST , QUALITY, WORKFORCE , AND PROVIDER CONSOLI DATION TRENDS 5
105	105	AND THE IMPACT ON TH E STATE’S ABILITY TO PROVIDE ALL MARYLANDERS WITH 6
106	106	TIMELY ACCESS TO HIG H–QUALITY, AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE ; 7
107	107
108	108	(II) A REVIEW OF STRATEGI ES IMPLEMENTED IN OT HER STATES 8
109	109	TO ENSURE UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO HEALTH CAR E, INCLUDING COVERAGE 9
110	110	EXPANSIONS, COST CONTAINMENT , AND AFFORDABILITY EF FORTS, PROVIDER 10
111	111	REIMBURSEMENT POLICI ES, AND DATA AND REPORTI NG TO MONITOR HEALTH CARE 11
112	112	DELIVERY SYSTEM PERF ORMANCE; AND 12
113	113
114	114	(III) RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STRATEGIES THE STATE SHOULD 13
115	115	CONSIDER TO ENSURE C OVERAGE AND TIMELY A CCESS TO HIGH QUALIT Y, 14
116	116	AFFORDABLE HEALTH CA RE FOR ALL MARYLANDERS , AS WELL AS POTENTIAL 15
117	117	FUNDING OPTIONS TO I MPLEMENT THE RECOMMEND ED STRATEGIES . 16
118	118
119	119	Chapter 795 of the Acts of 2024 17
120	120
121	121	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 18
122	122	That: 19
123	123
124	124	(a) The Maryland Department of Health shall contract with an independent 20
125	125	consultant to study the Health Services Cost Review Commission (HSCRC), the Maryland 21
126	126	Health Care Commission (MHCC), the Maryland Community Health Resources 22
127	127	Commission (MCHRC), and the Maryland Insurance Administration (MIA). 23
128	128
129	129	(b) In conducting the study required under subsection (a) of this section, the 24
130	130	independent contractor shall: 25
131	131
132	132	(1) examine overlap of the statutory and regulatory duties performed by 26
133	133	HSCRC, MHCC, MCHRC, and MIA; 27
134	134
135	135	(2) identify statutory or regulatory duties performed by HSCRC, MHCC, 28
136	136	MCHRC, and MIA that may be more appropriately performed by the Department or 29
137	137	another commission or agency; 30
138	138
139	139	(3) identify whether and how HSCRC, MHCC, MCHRC, and MIA could be 31
140	140	streamlined to reduce overlap of duties; 32
141	141
142	142	(4) identify whether and how the functions of HSCRC, MHCC, MCHRC, 33
143	143	and MIA could be better aligned to improve effectiveness and efficiency; 34
144	144	4 HOUSE BILL 1376
145	145
146	146
147	147	(5) examine the alignment of the statutory or regulatory duties performed 1
148	148	by HSCRC, MHCC, MCHRC, and MIA with the Maryland Total Cost of Care model and 2
149	149	the State’s participation in the Advancing All–Payer Health Equity Approaches and 3
150	150	Development (AHEAD) model; and 4
151	151
152	152	(6) recommend any changes in HSCRC, MHCC, MCHRC, and MIA 5
153	153	administrative structure that may improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the 6
154	154	commission or agency. 7
155	155
156	156	(c) The independent consultant hired under subsection (a) of this section shall 8
157	157	seek input from the Department, HSCRC, MHCC, MCHRC, and MIA in conducting the 9
158	158	study. 10
159	159
160	160	(d) (1) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL INCL UDE IN THE CONTRACT REQUIRED 11
161	161	UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SEC TION A REQUIREMENT THAT THE 12
162	162	INDEPENDENT CONSULTA NT STUDY THE CURRENT PROVISION OF HEALTH CARE 13
163	163	SERVICES IN THE STATE, INCLUDING PROGRAMS A ND PAYORS , AND MAKE 14
164	164	RECOMMENDATIONS TO C ONSOLIDATE PAYORS AN D PROGRAMS IN THE STATE TO 15
165	165	MAXIMIZE HEALTH CARE COVERAGE FOR RESIDEN TS OF THE STATE IN 16
166	166	CONJUNCTION WITH THE STUDY CONDUCTED UNDE R SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS 17
167	167	SECTION. 18
168	168
169	169	(2) IF THE CONTRACT REQUI RED UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS 19
170	170	SECTION HAS BEEN ENT ERED INTO BEFORE JUNE 1, 2025, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL 20
171	171	AMEND THE CONTRACT T O REQUIRE THE STUDY DESCRIBED IN PARAGRAPH (1) OF 21
172	172	THIS SUBSECTION . 22
173	173
174	174	(E) (1) On or before January 1, 2026, the Department shall report to the 23
175	175	Governor and, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, the Senate 24
176	176	Finance Committee and the House Health and Government Operations Committee on the 25
177	177	results of the study conducted under [subsection] SUBSECTIONS (a) AND (D) of this 26
178	178	section. 27
179	179
180	180	(2) THE REPORT REQUIRED U NDER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS 28
181	181	SUBSECTION SHALL INC LUDE: 29
182	182
183	183	(I) A COMPREHENSIVE SYNT HESIS OF COMPLETED ANALYSES 30
184	184	OF THE STATE’S EXISTING HEALTH CA RE FINANCE AND DELIV ERY SYSTEM , 31
185	185	INCLUDING COST , QUALITY, WORKFORCE , AND PROVIDER CONSOLI DATION TRENDS 32
186	186	AND THE IMPACT ON TH E STATE’S ABILITY TO PROVIDE ALL MARYLANDERS WITH 33
187	187	TIMELY ACCESS TO HIG H–QUALITY, AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE ; 34
188	188
189	189	(II) A REVIEW OF STRATEGI ES IMPLEMENTED IN OT HER STATES 35
190	190	TO ENSURE UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO HEALTH CAR E, INCLUDING COVERAGE 36
191	191	EXPANSIONS, COST CONTAINMENT , AND AFFORDABILITY EF FORTS, PROVIDER 37 HOUSE BILL 1376 5
192	192
193	193
194	194	REIMBURSEMENT POLICI ES, AND DATA AND REPORTI NG TO MONITOR HEALTH CARE 1
195	195	DELIVERY SYSTEM PERF ORMANCE; AND 2
196	196
197	197	(III) RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STRATEGIES THE STATE SHOULD 3
198	198	CONSIDER TO ENSURE C OVERAGE AND TIMELY A CCESS TO HIGH –QUALITY, 4
199	199	AFFORDABLE HEALTH CA RE FOR ALL MARYLANDERS , AS WELL AS POTENTIAL 5
200	200	FUNDING OPTIONS TO IMPLEMENT THE RECOMM ENDED STRATEGIES . 6
201	201
202	202	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 7
203	203	1, 2025. 8