Del. Tiffany Alston

Maddy summaryHB 1083 requires Maryland's Department of Health to convene a workgroup by December 2025 to create a plan implementing federal child behavioral health screening and treatment rules (EPSDT). The workgroup must include behavioral health professionals, childhood mental health specialists, parents/caregivers, children with behavioral health needs, and advocates. It will develop strategies for screening, using a specific diagnostic tool for children under 5, and expanding community-based services to address early symptoms, routine care, and crisis needs. The plan must align with federal best practices for children’s behavioral health care access. The department must submit the final plan to the legislature by December 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 995 establishes a 15-member workgroup to study rising adverse decisions (like denied insurance claims or medical necessity denials) in Maryland's health care system. The workgroup, including state agency leaders, hospital representatives, insurers, and patient advocates, will review current reporting data and recommend standardized definitions, reporting methods, and processes to reduce such denials. It must submit findings and recommendations to legislative committees by December 1, 2025, with the bill expiring June 30, 2026. This is a procedural study mechanism with no immediate policy changes.

Maddy summaryHB 11 updates Maryland health insurance rules to improve access to nonparticipating health providers, particularly for mental health and substance use disorder services. The bill requires insurers to establish a referral process that helps members connect with specialists not on their provider panel when needed, and to provide additional assistance if standard referrals fail. It also prohibits insurers from demanding prior authorization for scheduling appointments with nonparticipating providers for these services. Additionally, the Maryland Health Care Commission must set reimbursement rates for nonparticipating providers to ensure fair payment. This directly affects health insurance carriers and their members seeking specialized care outside their network.

Maddy summaryHB 776 updates Maryland's laws regulating physicians, physician assistants, and allied health professionals by revising outdated or inconsistent language in the Medical Practice Act and Physician Assistants Act. The bill clarifies licensure requirements, disciplinary procedures, and reporting rules for these healthcare professionals, while also modifying grounds for discipline and administrative penalties. It affects licensed medical practitioners, the State Board of Physicians, and allied health advisory committees by streamlining regulatory processes. The bill focuses on administrative modernization rather than creating new policy, removing redundant provisions and aligning existing rules across the statutes.

Maddy summaryHB 1066 restructures Maryland's Commission on Behavioral Health Care Treatment and Access by expanding its membership from 19 to 48 members. It adds 29 new appointed members representing specific stakeholders, including consumers of behavioral health services, substance use treatment providers, housing specialists, and experts in areas like drug policy reform. The bill also requires the Commission to establish a dedicated workgroup focused on improving health, social, and economic outcomes related to substance use. This change directly affects the Commission's composition and operational structure, aiming to enhance diverse representation in behavioral health policy development.

Maddy summaryHB 850 requires Maryland's Commissioner of Labor and Industry to create and maintain a public data dashboard tracking information about contractors and apprentices working on state public work projects. Contractors must submit weekly data on employee wages, staffing levels, and apprentice details - including trade, certification, demographics, and registration dates - to the Commissioner. The dashboard must be updated monthly, posted prominently on the Labor Department website, and retain 24 months of historical data. This law directly affects all contractors awarded state public work contracts, aiming to increase transparency around wage practices and workforce composition.

Maddy summaryHB 813 requires pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) to reimburse pharmacies at least the national average drug cost plus a professional dispensing fee for drugs covered under Maryland's Medicaid program (Maryland Medical Assistance Program). It directly affects pharmacies, PBMs, and managed care organizations that contract with PBMs for prescription drug coverage. Key provisions include expanding the definition of "purchaser" to include certain insurers and health plans, while excluding pharmacy-owned operations and mail-order pharmacies from the reimbursement rules. The bill aims to standardize payment rates for pharmacies serving Medicaid patients by tying reimbursements to nationally recognized cost benchmarks.

Maddy summaryHB 718 establishes the Maryland Health Insurance Coverage Protection Commission to monitor and assess how federal changes to health care programs like the ACA, Medicaid, Medicare, and Maryland's All-Payer Model might affect residents' access to affordable coverage. The Commission, composed of state officials, health care industry representatives, and public members, will track federal policy shifts and evaluate their potential impacts on Marylanders. It will then provide state and local recommendations to protect health coverage access, particularly for vulnerable groups like low-income households and communities of color. This bill directly affects all Maryland residents by creating a dedicated body to safeguard health care access amid federal policy uncertainty.

Maddy summaryHB 384 establishes the Maryland Disability Service Animal Program within the Department of Disabilities. The program requires the Department to select a nonprofit organization to train service animals and creates a dedicated fund to support eligible individuals with disabilities (as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act). Key provisions include referring individuals to the nonprofit trainer, providing funding assistance for service animal training, and encouraging successful participants to help with outreach to others. This directly affects Maryland residents with disabilities who need service animals trained to perform specific tasks for daily living.

Maddy summaryHB 333 requires Maryland's healthcare ecosystem entities - including hospitals, medical facilities, data exchanges, and other defined providers - to adopt cybersecurity standards, implement a "zero-trust" security approach, undergo third-party audits, and report incidents to the State Security Operations Center. It mandates the Maryland Health Care Commission to hire a cybersecurity expert to advise on oversight and collaborate with security offices. The bill also directs the Department of Emergency Management to convene a workgroup to study and improve healthcare cybersecurity practices. These requirements directly affect healthcare providers and data handlers but exclude insurers and pharmacy benefits managers.