Del. Tom Hutchinson

Maddy summaryHB 459, the "James 'Jimmy' Malone Act," requires health insurers, nonprofit health plans, and health maintenance organizations in Maryland to cover preventive cancer screenings for professional firefighters without copayments, coinsurance, or deductibles. It applies to all insurers offering coverage in the state and mandates that counties, municipalities, and state employee health programs comply with these screening coverage requirements. The bill specifies that screenings must follow guidelines from the International Association of Fire Fighters and takes effect January 1, 2026. This directly affects firefighters employed by state, county, or municipal entities and their health insurance providers.

Maddy summaryHB 1086 requires Maryland's Medicaid program (Maryland Medical Assistance Program), managed care organizations, and certain health insurers to cover anesthesia services without time limits. It mandates that if a licensed medical professional orders anesthesia for a procedure, coverage must extend for the entire procedure duration, and insurers cannot impose any time restrictions on this coverage. The bill applies to all policies issued or renewed in Maryland on or after January 1, 2026, directly affecting Medicaid beneficiaries and insured patients needing anesthesia for medical procedures. This change aligns anesthesia coverage requirements with existing standards for other health services under Maryland law.

Maddy summaryHB 331 amends Maryland's Public Information Act to explicitly allow the Public Access Ombudsman to delegate specific powers and duties to staff members within their office. This change directly affects the Office of the Public Access Ombudsman by clarifying its internal operational authority. The key provision (added to Section 4-1B-03(g) of the Maryland Annotated Code) formally authorizes the Ombudsman to assign responsibilities to staff, streamlining the office's ability to manage public records requests and investigations. The bill does not alter public rights or create new obligations for citizens or agencies.

Maddy summaryHB 602 requires Maryland's State Board of Nursing to negotiate mutual recognition agreements with nursing boards in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. The bill aims to create reciprocity for advanced practice nursing licenses and specialty certifications, specifically to increase access to qualified nurses, improve license portability across borders, and simplify telehealth services in border regions. The Board must report annually to legislative committees starting November 1, 2025, detailing progress, agreements reached, challenges, and needed policy changes. This bill directly affects nursing boards in Maryland and the five neighboring jurisdictions, focusing on streamlining licensure for advanced practice nurses without altering current licensing standards. It is a procedural measure to facilitate future agreements, not a change to existing licensure rules.

Maddy summaryHB 848 requires Maryland health insurance carriers to submit quarterly reports to the Insurance Commissioner detailing adverse decisions (denials of coverage), including specific data on denied claims, grievance outcomes, and emergency case processing times. If a carrier’s adverse decisions for a specific service type rise by more than 10% annually or 25% over three years, they must also report the reasons for the increase, such as changes in medical management. The Commissioner will compile annual summary reports from this data and may use it to initiate examinations of carriers. This bill directly affects health insurance carriers operating in Maryland, aiming to increase transparency around coverage denials without altering coverage rules.

Maddy summaryHB 1351 requires health insurance carriers in Maryland to accept or reject applications from specific behavioral health professionals within 30 days of receiving a complete application. It directly affects licensed graduate social workers, counselors, therapists, and psychology associates who practice within their licensed scope, prohibiting carriers from rejecting them solely based on their license type. The bill shortens the decision timeline for clinical professionals (like Licensed Clinical Social Workers) to 30 days, compared to the previous 120-day window for others, and mandates written notice of decisions. Carriers failing to comply face penalties under Maryland insurance law. This change aims to streamline access to behavioral health services by reducing delays in provider panel enrollment.

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.