Del. Kim Ross

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 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 933 requires Maryland nursing homes to spend at least 75% of their total nursing and residential care income on direct care staff wages and benefits, including nurses, dietary workers, therapists, and social workers. Nursing homes must annually submit detailed cost reports by September 1 (starting in 2026) to the Maryland Department of Health, including proof of wage payments and other required details. The Department can enforce compliance through actions like recouping funds, imposing corrective plans, or suspending program participation for violations. This bill directly affects nursing homes operating in Maryland and aims to ensure adequate staffing resources through transparent financial reporting.

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 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 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.