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.
*hb0553*
HOUSE BILL 553
J1 5lr3326
CF SB 94
By: Delegates Taveras, Boafo, Harrison, Holmes, Lehman, Terrasa, and Vogel
Vogel, Pena–Melnyk, Cullison, Alston, Bagnall, Bhandari, Guzzone, Hill,
Hutchinson, S. Johnson, Kaiser, Kerr, Lopez, Martinez, Rosenberg,
White Holland, Woods, and Woorman
Introduced and read first time: January 22, 2025
Assigned to: Health and Government Operations
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: February 22, 2025
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Maryland Medical Assistance Program – Maternal Health Self–Measured Blood 2
Pressure Monitoring 3
FOR the purpose of requiring, beginning on a certain date, the Maryland Medical 4
Assistance Program to provide coverage for self–measured blood pressure 5
monitoring for certain eligible Program recipients; requiring the Program to develop 6
and implement a certain education campaign; and generally relating to 7
self–measured blood pressure monitoring under the Maryland Medical Assistance 8
Program. 9
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 10
Article – Health – General 11
Section 15–101(h), (j), and (l) and 15–103(a)(1) 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 14
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 15
Article – Health – General 16
Section 15–103(a)(2)(xxiii) and (xxiv) 17
Annotated Code of Maryland 18
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 19
2 HOUSE BILL 553
BY adding to 1
Article – Health – General 2
Section 15–103(a)(2)(xxv) and 15–141.6 3
Annotated Code of Maryland 4
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 5
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 6
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 7
Article – Health – General 8
15–101. 9
(h) “Program” means the Maryland Medical Assistance Program. 10
(j) “Self–measured blood pressure monitoring” means the regular measurement 11
of blood pressure by the patient outside the clinical setting, either at home or elsewhere, 12
requiring the use of a home blood pressure measurement device by the patient. 13
(l) “Validated home blood pressure monitor” means a blood pressure 14
measurement device that has been validated for accuracy and is listed in the U.S. Blood 15
Pressure Validated Device Listing. 16
15–103. 17
(a) (1) The Secretary shall administer the Maryland Medical Assistance 18
Program. 19
(2) The Program: 20
(xxiii) Beginning on July 1, 2025, shall provide, subject to the 21
limitations of the State budget, and as permitted by federal law, coverage for biomarker 22
testing in accordance with § 15–859 of the Insurance Article; [and] 23
(xxiv) Beginning on January 1, 2025, shall provide coverage for 24
prostheses in accordance with § 15–844 of the Insurance Article; AND 25
(XXV) BEGINNING ON JANUARY 1, 2026, SHALL PROVIDE , 26
SUBJECT TO THE LIMIT ATIONS OF THE STATE BUDGET , AND AS PERMITTED BY 27
FEDERAL LAW , COVERAGE FOR SELF –MEASURED BLOOD PRESS URE MONITORING 28
FOR ELIGIBLE PROGRAM RECIPIENTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 15–141.6 OF THIS 29
SUBTITLE. 30
15–141.6. 31
HOUSE BILL 553 3
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 1
INDICATED. 2
(2) “ELIGIBLE PROGRAM, “ELIGIBLE PROGRAM RECIPIENT” MEANS 3
A PROGRAM RECIPIENT WHO : 4
(I) (1) IS PREGNANT; 5
(II) (2) IS POSTPARTUM ; OR 6
(III) (3) HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH : 7
1. (I) CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEAS E; 8
2. (II) DIABETES; 9
3. (III) HEART DISEASE; OR 10
4. (IV) A CARDIOMETABOLIC DISE ASE. 11
(3) “HEALTH CARE PROVIDER ” MEANS: 12
(I) A PERSON WHO IS LICENS ED, CERTIFIED, OR OTHERWISE 13
AUTHORIZED UNDER THE HEALTH OCCUPATIONS ARTICLE TO PROVIDE HE ALTH 14
CARE IN THE ORDINARY COURSE OF BUSINESS O R PRACTICE OF A PROF ESSION, OR 15
IN AN APPROVED EDUCA TION OR TRAINING PRO GRAM; OR 16
(II) A COMMUNITY HEALTH WOR KER CERTIFIED UNDER TITLE 17
13, SUBTITLE 37 OF THIS ARTICLE. 18
(B) THE PROGRAM SHALL PROVIDE COVERAGE FOR SELF –MEASURED 19
BLOOD PRESSURE MONIT ORING FOR ALL ELIGIB LE PROGRAM RECIPIENTS , 20
INCLUDING: 21
(1) THE PROVISION OF VALI DATED HOME BLOOD PRE SSURE 22
MONITORS; AND 23
(2) REIMBURSEMENT OF HEAL TH CARE PROVIDER AND OTHER STAFF 24
TIME USED FOR PATIEN T TRAINING, TRANSMISSION OF BLOO D PRESSURE DATA , 25
INTERPRETATION OF BL OOD PRESSURE READING S AND REPORTING , REMOTE 26
PATIENT MONITORING , AND THE DELIVERY OF CO–INTERVENTIONS , INCLUDING 27
EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL S OR CLASSES. 28
4 HOUSE BILL 553
(C) THE PROGRAM SHALL DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT AN EDU CATION 1
CAMPAIGN TO INFORM E LIGIBLE PROGRAM RECIPIENTS AN D HEALTH CARE 2
PROVIDERS ABOUT THE BENEFITS AND USAGE O F BLOOD PRESSURE MON ITORING 3
TECHNOLOGY AND THE A VAILABILITY OF ASSIS TANCE WITH SETUP AND 4
TROUBLESHO OTING. 5
(D) ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 1 EACH YEAR, BEGINNING IN 2027, THE 6
DEPARTMENT SHALL SUBM IT A REPORT TO THE SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE AND 7
THE HOUSE HEALTH AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS COMMITTEE, IN 8
ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, THAT 9
INCLUDES: 10
(1) THE TOTAL NUMBER OF E LIGIBLE PROGRAM RECIPIENTS WH O 11
RECEIVED BLOOD PRESS URE MONITORS UNDER T HIS SECTION DURING T HE 12
IMMEDIATELY PRECEDIN G 12–MONTH PERIOD ; 13
(2) THE OUTCOMES ASSOCIAT ED WITH THE USE OF T HE HOME BLOOD 14
PRESSURE MONITORS UNDER THIS SECTION ; AND 15
(3) ANY COST SAVINGS ACHI EVED BY THE PROGRAM DURING THE 16
IMMEDIATELY PRECEDIN G FISCAL YEAR ASSOCI ATED WITH THE USE OF THE HOME 17
BLOOD PRESSURE MONIT ORS DISTRIBUTED IN A CCORDANCE WITH THIS SECTION. 18
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENA CTED, That this Act shall take effect July 19
1, 2025. 20
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.