Del. Harry Bhandari

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.

Maddy summaryHB 1315 requires Maryland health insurers to cover all childhood and adolescent immunizations recommended by either the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices or the American Academy of Pediatrics' schedule, without deductibles. It directly affects health insurers offering family coverage in Maryland, mandating these vaccines as part of the required "minimum package of child wellness services." The bill expands current coverage to include all recommended vaccines under these two authoritative sources, rather than a limited list. This policy change takes effect January 1, 2026, for all new or renewed policies.

Maddy summaryHB 1004 requires the Maryland Department of Health to incorporate FDA-approved Alzheimer's treatments into public health outreach programs for healthcare providers and the public. It mandates the department to create a publicly accessible website displaying statewide prevalence and hospitalization rates for Alzheimer's and related dementias, disaggregated by age, race, ethnicity, sex, and county. The bill specifically targets improving early detection awareness, emphasizing Medicare wellness visits for seniors, and addressing higher risk in Black and Latino communities. The website must include data from the previous five years and be updated annually starting in 2027.

Maddy summaryHB 1087 prohibits Maryland health insurers, nonprofit health plans, and health maintenance organizations from requiring step therapy (where patients must try less expensive drugs first) for two specific cancer-related treatments. It applies when: (1) a drug treats stage 4 metastatic cancer itself (if FDA-approved and supported by medical evidence), or (2) a drug treats a symptom or side effect from cancer treatment (if determined necessary by a provider and backed by medical literature). The law affects patients with advanced metastatic cancer who rely on these specific prescription drugs and requires insurers to cover them without prior authorization hurdles. The bill amends Maryland insurance law and takes effect January 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 871 adds "community health worker workforce programs" to Maryland’s definition of "community benefit" for nonprofit hospitals. It allows hospitals and community-based organizations to partner through a formal memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish these programs, which must include specific elements like health outcome goals, implementation plans, and data protocols. The bill requires hospitals to provide employer-sponsored health insurance to community health workers employed through these partnerships. This directly affects nonprofit hospitals, community organizations, and community health workers, aiming to improve patient access to care and address social determinants of health.

Maddy summaryHB 974 requires Maryland health insurers to cover specific preventive services - like evidence-based screenings rated A/B by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, recommended immunizations, and women’s preventive care - without requiring copays, deductibles, or coinsurance for policyholders. It directly affects health insurers and their customers by mandating coverage for these services under state law. The bill shifts enforcement authority to the Maryland Insurance Commissioner, who must ensure compliance with federal rules and guidance in effect as of December 31, 2024. The law takes effect on June 1, 2025, aligning state coverage requirements with federal standards for preventive care.

Maddy summaryHB 1142 establishes the Maryland Interested Parties Advisory Group within the Department of Health to address two key issues: ensuring Medicaid payment rates for home and community-based services are sufficient to maintain access, and supporting the development of an adequate direct care workforce. The advisory group will include 11 voting members representing consumers, consumer organizations, direct care workers, worker organizations, provider associations, and the public, plus a nonvoting data expert. It must reflect Maryland’s diversity in disability, race, ethnicity, gender, and other demographics. The group will meet quarterly starting November 1, 2025, and the Department of Health will provide staff and logistical support to ensure meaningful participation from consumers and direct care workers. This bill directly affects Medicaid recipients needing home/community services, direct care workers, and organizations serving these groups.

Maddy summaryHB 765 allows Maryland hospitals to sell patient medical debt **only to government units or their contractors for debt cancellation**, not for profit. It requires hospitals to dismiss all pending collection actions for sold debt, stop all collection efforts on that debt, and report detailed data on debt sales (including amounts sold, payments received, and patient demographics) annually. The bill directly affects hospitals by mandating new financial policies and patient reporting requirements, and impacts patients whose debt is sold by preventing further collection attempts. Key provisions include prohibiting interest charges before court judgment, requiring refunds for patients later found eligible for free care, and banning hospitals from reporting adverse credit information during an 180-day grace period.

Maddy summaryHB 745 requires Maryland's State Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists to issue behavior analyst licenses within 10 days of receiving a complete application, or within 30 days if additional information is needed to complete an initially incomplete application. The bill mandates the Board send email notifications to applicants at four key stages: when an application is received, review begins, completeness is confirmed (or more info is needed), and when a license is issued or denied. This directly affects individuals applying for behavior analyst licensure in Maryland by setting clear timelines for processing and improving communication. The bill does not change eligibility requirements but focuses on streamlining the application process and transparency. It takes effect October 1, 2025.