Maryland 2025 Regular Session

Maryland Senate Bill SB508 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	sb0508
6	6
7	7	SENATE BILL 508
8	8	J5, J1, J4 5lr3070
9	9	CF HB 381
10	10	By: Senator Henson
11	11	Introduced and read first time: January 23, 2025
12	12	Assigned to: Finance
13	13
14	14	A BILL ENTITLED
15	15
16	16	AN ACT concerning 1
17	17
18	18	Maryland Medical Assistance Program and Health Insurance – Required 2
19	19	Coverage for Aesthetic Services and Restorative Care for Victims of Domestic 3
20	20	Violence 4
21	21	(Healing Our Scars Act) 5
22	22
23	23	FOR the purpose of requiring the Maryland Medical Assistance Program and certain 6
24	24	insurers, nonprofit health service plans, health maintenance organizations, and 7
25	25	managed care organizations to provide coverage to victims of domestic violence for 8
26	26	certain aesthetic services and restorative care; and generally relating to coverage for 9
27	27	aesthetic services and restorative care for victims of domestic violence by the 10
28	28	Maryland Medical Assistance Program and health insurance carriers. 11
29	29
30	30	BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 12
31	31	Article – Family Law 13
32	32	Section 4–501(a) and (d) and 4–513 14
33	33	Annotated Code of Maryland 15
34	34	(2019 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 16
35	35
36	36	BY adding to 17
37	37	Article – Health – General 18
38	38	Section 15–102.3(m) and 15–103(a)(2)(xxv) 19
39	39	Annotated Code of Maryland 20
40	40	(2023 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 21
41	41
42	42	BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 22
43	43	Article – Health – General 23
44	44	Section 15–103(a)(1) 24
45	45	Annotated Code of Maryland 25
46	46	(2023 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 26
47	47
48	48	BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 27 2 SENATE BILL 508
49	49
50	50
51	51	Article – Health – General 1
52	52	Section 15–103(a)(2)(xxiii) and (xxiv) 2
53	53	Annotated Code of Maryland 3
54	54	(2023 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 4
55	55
56	56	BY adding to 5
57	57	Article – Insurance 6
58	58	Section 15–861 7
59	59	Annotated Code of Maryland 8
60	60	(2017 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 9
61	61
62	62	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 10
63	63	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 11
64	64
65	65	Article – Family Law 12
66	66
67	67	4–501. 13
68	68
69	69	(a) In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated. 14
70	70
71	71	(d) “Cohabitant” means a person who has had a sexual relationship with the 15
72	72	respondent and resided with the respondent in the home for a period of at least 90 days 16
73	73	within 1 year before the filing of the petition. 17
74	74
75	75	4–513. 18
76	76
77	77	In this Part III of this subtitle, “victim of domestic violence” means an individual 19
78	78	who has received deliberate, severe, and demonstrable physical injury, or is in fear of 20
79	79	imminent deliberate, severe, and demonstrable physical injury from a current or former 21
80	80	spouse, or a current or former cohabitant, as defined in § 4–501 of this subtitle. 22
81	81
82	82	Article – Health – General 23
83	83
84	84	15–102.3. 24
85	85
86	86	(M) THE PROVISIONS OF § 15–861 OF THE INSURANCE ARTICLE APPLY TO 25
87	87	MANAGED CARE ORGANIZ ATIONS IN THE SAME M ANNER THEY APPLY TO CARRIERS. 26
88	88
89	89	15–103. 27
90	90
91	91	(a) (1) The Secretary shall administer the Maryland Medical Assistance 28
92	92	Program. 29
93	93
94	94	(2) The Program: 30
95	95	SENATE BILL 508 3
96	96
97	97
98	98	(xxiii) Beginning on July 1, 2025, shall provide, subject to the 1
99	99	limitations of the State budget, and as permitted by federal law, coverage for biomarker 2
100	100	testing in accordance with § 15–859 of the Insurance Article; [and] 3
101	101
102	102	(xxiv) Beginning on January 1, 2025, shall provide coverage for 4
103	103	prostheses in accordance with § 15–844 of the Insurance Article; AND 5
104	104
105	105	(XXV) BEGINNING ON JANUARY 1, 2026, SHALL PROVIDE 6
106	106	COVERAGE TO VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE FOR AESTHETIC SERVIC ES AND 7
107	107	RESTORATIVE CARE IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 15–861 OF THE INSURANCE ARTICLE. 8
108	108
109	109	Article – Insurance 9
110	110
111	111	15–861. 10
112	112
113	113	(A) IN THIS SECTION, “VICTIM OF DOMESTIC V IOLENCE” HAS THE MEANING 11
114	114	STATED IN § 4–513 OF THE FAMILY LAW ARTICLE. 12
115	115
116	116	(B) THIS SECTION APPLIES TO: 13
117	117
118	118	(1) INSURERS AND NONPROFIT HEALTH SERVICE PLANS THAT 14
119	119	PROVIDE HOSPITAL , MEDICAL, OR SURGICAL BENEFITS TO INDIVIDUALS OR GR OUPS 15
120	120	ON AN EXPENSE –INCURRED BASIS UNDER HEALTH INSURANCE POL ICIES OR 16
121	121	CONTRACTS THAT ARE I SSUED OR DELIVERED I N THE STATE; AND 17
122	122
123	123	(2) HEALTH MA INTENANCE ORGANIZATI ONS THAT PROVIDE 18
124	124	HOSPITAL, MEDICAL, OR SURGICAL BENEFITS TO INDIVIDUALS OR GR OUPS UNDER 19
125	125	CONTRACTS THAT ARE I SSUED OR DELIVERED I N THE STATE. 20
126	126
127	127	(C) AN ENTITY SUBJECT TO THIS SECTION SHALL P ROVIDE COVERAGE TO 21
128	128	VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE FOR AESTHETIC SERVIC ES AND RESTORATIVE 22
129	129	CARE: 23
130	130
131	131	(1) PROVIDED FOR THE TRE ATMENT OF PHYSICAL I NJURIES CAUSED 24
132	132	BY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ; AND 25
133	133
134	134	(2) DETERMINED TO BE MED ICALLY NECESSARY BY A PHYSICIAN WHO 26
135	135	IS LICENSED TO PRACT ICE MEDICINE UNDER T HE HEALTH OCCUPATIONS ARTICLE. 27
136	136
137	137	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall apply to all 28
138	138	policies, contracts, and health benefit plans issued, delivered, or renewed in the State on or 29
139	139	after January 1, 2026. 30
140	140	4 SENATE BILL 508
141	141
142	142
143	143	SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 1
144	144	January 1, 2026. 2
145	145