Del. Teresa Reilly

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Maryland's Opioid Restitution Fund by creating a formal process for how money from the fund is distributed to local communities. It requires the state health department to share its funding decisions with an advisory council and to publish those decisions online for public transparency. The legislation also mandates that at least 25% of the fund's money each year goes to community-based recovery organizations. Additionally, the bill clarifies which specific programs, such as overdose prevention and treatment services, are eligible for funding and establishes new reporting rules for local governments that receive these funds.

Maddy summaryThis Maryland bill creates a pathway for dentists trained outside the United States and Canada to obtain a limited license to practice, specifically to serve adults in public health clinics and federally qualified health centers. To qualify, applicants must hold a foreign dental degree, complete a two-year pediatric dentistry residency and fellowship, and commit to providing care for at least two years to Medicaid, uninsured, or indigent patients. The legislation requires approval from local health officials and the University of Maryland Dental School Dean, and it restricts these dentists to working only at the specific facility where they have a contractual obligation. Once the two-year service period is completed, eligible practitioners can apply for a full general dental license by passing additional state and national exams.

Maddy summaryHB 1092 requires the Maryland 9-1-1 Board to create training standards for public safety answering point personnel that include high-quality telecommunications cardiopulmonary resuscitation instruction. This training must follow current national emergency care guidelines, cover recognition protocols for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, and teach compression-only CPR techniques. The bill also updates the 9-1-1 Trust Fund to allow money from this source to pay for these specific CPR training costs. These changes aim to better equip 9-1-1 operators to provide life-saving guidance during cardiac emergencies.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the Maryland Emergency Department Wait Time Reduction Commission within the state's Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems to address long wait times in hospital emergency rooms. The commission will be composed of representatives from health agencies, hospitals, patient advocates, and various medical professionals who will work together to assess current services and develop strategies for improvement. Key provisions include creating standardized operational protocols, implementing advanced technology solutions, and launching training programs to enhance efficiency and patient care. Additionally, the commission is authorized to request data from healthcare entities and requires these entities to sign agreements allowing the sharing of necessary information to monitor performance.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands Maryland's Right to Try Act to include individualized investigational treatments, such as gene therapies and personalized vaccines, for patients with life-threatening or severely debilitating illnesses rather than only those with terminal conditions. It allows manufacturers to charge patients for these treatments and removes previous restrictions on profiting from them, while also permitting health insurance carriers and government agencies to cover the costs. The law requires a detailed informed consent process that outlines available alternatives, potential risks, and the possibility that the treatment could hasten death, and it clarifies that patients remain liable for expenses unless covered by law or contract.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Maryland Department of Health to form a group of stakeholders to study whether the qualifications for the executive director of the State Board of Nursing should change. The workgroup will examine how well the Board currently functions, compare the current requirements with those of other state health boards, and review qualifications used by other nursing boards. By December 1, 2024, the group must submit a report with its findings and any recommendations to the state legislature. The bill does not immediately change the job requirements but instead creates a process to review them before the current rules expire.

Maddy summaryThis Maryland bill requires health insurers and health plans to cover specific breast and lung cancer screening services without imposing copayments, coinsurance, or deductibles, with the exception of high-deductible health plans. For breast cancer, the law expands the definition of supplemental screening to include image-guided breast biopsies and mandates that these services be covered at the same cost as standard breast cancer screening. Regarding lung cancer, the bill ensures coverage for recommended screenings and necessary follow-up diagnostic imaging, such as CT scans and biopsies, while explicitly prohibiting plans from requiring prior authorization for these services. These coverage requirements apply to all health policies issued, delivered, or renewed in the state on or after January 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis Maryland bill updates health insurance rules to improve how prior authorization requests are handled and to ensure patients receive clearer cost information. It requires insurance companies to create online systems that allow doctors to submit and receive approval for drug coverage electronically, while also displaying real-time out-of-pocket costs and cheaper medication options at the point of prescribing. The law further prohibits insurers from charging fees for accessing these digital tools and restricts their ability to use provider data without consent. Additionally, the bill removes prior authorization requirements for specific prescription drugs used to treat opioid use disorder, such as methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone. These changes aim to streamline the approval process and increase transparency for both healthcare providers and insured individuals.