Del. Steve Johnson

Maddy summaryHB 936 requires health insurance carriers to provide written notice of cancellation or nonrenewal for small group health plans to affected small employers and employees at least 90 days in advance. Notices must be sent via certified mail (return receipt requested) and electronically, including information about alternative coverage options like COBRA or plans through the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange. The bill applies specifically to small group market plans and takes effect July 1, 2025. It mandates carriers to offer affected employers other available plans and prohibits discrimination based on health status.

Maddy summaryHB 1100 requires Maryland's Department of Health, working with the Commission on Health Equity, to create a public data dashboard showing health disparities. The dashboard must display age-adjusted health data broken down by race, ethnicity, and gender, covering specific areas like health insurance access, cardiovascular disease, mental health, cancer, and HIV/AIDS. The Department must update the dashboard at least every 30 days and post the latest version prominently on its website. This law directly affects Maryland residents by making health equity data more accessible to the public, researchers, and health officials.

Maddy summaryHB 1243 prohibits health insurers, nonprofit health plans, and health maintenance organizations (HMOs) in Maryland from excluding coverage for certain specialty drugs administered or dispensed by in-network oncology providers meeting state regulations. The bill defines "specialty drugs" as those costing $600+ for a 30-day supply, treating complex/chronic conditions (excluding diabetes/HIV/AIDS), and requiring special handling or patient support. It requires insurers to reimburse these drugs at non-hospital rates and covers infused, auto-injected, or specific oral medications used with other therapies. This directly affects patients needing these drugs and providers administering them, ensuring coverage access without insurer-imposed pharmacy restrictions.

Maddy summaryHB 553 requires Maryland's Medicaid program (Maryland Medical Assistance Program) to cover self-measured blood pressure monitoring for eligible pregnant, postpartum, or chronically ill individuals starting January 1, 2026. It specifically covers Medicaid recipients with conditions like diabetes, heart disease, chronic kidney disease, or cardiometabolic disorders. The bill mandates coverage for validated home blood pressure monitors and reimburses healthcare providers for training, data interpretation, and remote monitoring support. Additionally, it requires the state to launch an education campaign and submit annual reports on usage, health outcomes, and cost savings related to the program.

Maddy summaryHB 1301 prohibits the Maryland Medical Assistance Program, Maryland Children’s Health Program, managed care organizations, and certain health insurers from requiring prior authorization for transfers to special pediatric hospitals. The bill defines "special pediatric hospitals" as facilities providing nonacute medical, rehabilitation, therapy, and palliative care to individuals under 22 years old, or those aged 2-22 with co-occurring physical and behavioral health conditions. It amends Maryland law to require coverage for such transfers without prior approval, effective January 1, 2026. This directly affects Medicaid programs, children’s health programs, and health insurers covering hospital or medical services in Maryland.

Maddy summaryHB 970 prohibits Maryland health insurers, nonprofit health plans, and health maintenance organizations from requiring patients to try less expensive diabetes medications before covering insulin. It directly affects people with type 1, type 2, or gestational diabetes who rely on insulin or similar insulin analogs for treatment. The bill bans "step therapy" or "fail-first" protocols - where insurers force patients to attempt alternative drugs first - regardless of how insurers label these policies. This change takes effect for all new or renewed health insurance policies on or after January 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 991 extends deadlines for Maryland's Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) Program, directly affecting minority-owned businesses participating in state contracts, particularly for offshore wind projects and video lottery terminals. The bill delays the termination of key MBE program provisions from July 1, 2025, to July 1, 2026, and moves report deadlines: the disparity study analysis must now be submitted by September 30, 2025 (previously 2024), and subgoal implementation reports by December 31, 2026 (previously 2025). It modifies existing statutes (Public Utilities Article §7-704.1, State Finance and Procurement §14-309, and State Government §9-1A-10) to reflect these extended timelines. The bill focuses solely on procedural timing changes without altering the program's core requirements or eligibility criteria.

Maddy summaryHB 666 requires Maryland's Medicaid program (Maryland Medical Assistance Program) and most health insurance plans to cover calcium score testing for individuals with specific heart disease risk factors. It directly affects people with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or a family history of early heart disease - requiring coverage if they have at least three of these risk factors. The law mandates coverage starting January 1, 2026, for Medicaid and all health insurance policies issued or renewed after that date. This change applies to insurers, nonprofit health plans, health maintenance organizations, and managed care organizations operating in Maryland. The bill does not alter coverage for other medical services but specifically adds calcium scoring to required benefits.

Maddy summaryHB 798 requires Maryland's Office of Overdose Response (with the Department of Health) to create and maintain a public interactive dashboard tracking how settlement funds from opioid-related lawsuits are spent. The dashboard must show, by state, county, and municipality: payment schedules, past spending, spending plans, funded initiatives, and public hearing details. Local governments receiving these funds must submit required financial data through an online portal to the Department for inclusion on the dashboard. The dashboard will be developed and maintained using existing Opioid Restitution Fund money from the state budget, not new appropriations. This bill focuses solely on transparency, with no new policy changes or funding mechanisms.

Maddy summaryHB 1146 requires Maryland's crisis communication centers to coordinate with the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Network to provide services like supportive counseling, suicide prevention, crisis intervention, and referrals. It mandates that each jurisdiction's crisis system evaluate outcomes using specific data points, including 9-8-8 call volume, resolution rates, mobile crisis team dispatches, and discharge data. The bill also requires annual public reporting of this data - disaggregated by race, gender, age, and zip code - to inform policy improvements aimed at reducing criminal detention and enhancing community crisis diversion. This directly affects all Maryland crisis communication centers and their coordination with the 9-8-8 network.