Legislation > Legislative Victories

Legislative Victories

Since our formation in 2006, we have worked with elected and public health officials, partners and members to achieve substantive advancements towards comprehensive, affordable and accessible health care for all Marylanders. This has included both legislative victories and other achievements.  Our victories include:

  • 2012
    • Maryland Health Benefit Exchange Act of 2012 (SB238/HB443) - requires the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange to make specified qualified dental plans available to specified individuals and employers; requiring the Exchange to establish and implement specified navigator programs on or before January 1, 2014; establishing qualifications for specified navigators; etc.
      • Read the Coalition's proposed amendments.
      • Read the Coalition's testimony.
      • Read the Urban Institute's ACA Implementation Monitoring and Tracking Site Visit Report.
    • Maryland Health Improvement and Disparities Reduction Act of 2012 (SB234/HB439) - establishes a process to create specified areas as Health Enterprise Zones that can, in the longer term, support the State’s goal of creating health equity.
    • Cultural Competency and Health Literacy (HB679) - requires the Maryland Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities to work collaboratively with specified universities and colleges of social work, public health, and allied health to develop specified courses; changes the name of the Cultural and Linguistic Health Care Provider Competency Program to be the Cultural and Linguistic Health Care Professional Competency Program; alters the purpose of the Program; etc.
  • 2011
    • Maryland Health Benefit Exchange Act of 2011 (HB 166) - establishes Maryland’s “health insurance marketplace.”
    • Family Planning Works Act (SB 743) - ensures that approximately 33,000 low income women will have access to family planning services prior to the birth of their first child.
    • Health Insurance - Conformity with Federal Law (SB 186) - alters the circumstances under which a person has the right to a hearing and the right to an appeal from an action of the Maryland Insurance Commissioner; requiring the Commissioner to file specified documents in a court in which a specified appeal is pending; providing that provisions of federal law apply to specified health insurance coverage issued or delivered by insurers, nonprofit health service plans, and health maintenance organizations; authorizing the Commissioner to enforce specified provisions of law; etc.
    • Health Officers: Authority to Enter into Contracts or Agreements for Delivery of Health Care Services  (SB 416) - authorizes a health officer, under certain circumstances, to enter into a contract or other written agreement to assist or participate in the delivery of health care services with a certain person.
    • Sales & Use Tax – Alcoholic Beverages – The House Bill (HB1213) - levies a 9% tax and provides funding for school construction projects and the Senate Bill (SB994) - levies the same 9% tax with a supplementary appropriation going to fund the waiting list for Developmental Disabilities.
  • 2010
    • Administration of National High Risk Pool Program (HB1564) - allows Maryland to participate in the national high risk pool program established under the new law. 
    • Patient Centered Medical Home Program (HB929/SB855) - is the first step towards creating better health outcomes and reduced costs by establishing a program for coordinated patient care led by your primary care physician.
    • Kids First Express Lane Eligibility Act (HB1375) - extends and refines the Kids First.
  • 2009
    • Foster Kids Act (HB 580) - provides health care coverage to a high risk group of young people who are aging out of the foster care system and would otherwise lose coverage.
    • Health Insurance - Limitations on Preexisting Condition Provisions - Individual Health Benefit Plan (HB32) - imposes limitations on pre-existing conditions in individual health plans
    • Health Insurance - Out-of-State Association Contracts - Regulation (HB39) - imposes disclosure requirements on insurance carriers that offer out-of-state association plans.
    • Health Insurance - Rescission of Contracts and Certificates - Restrictions (HB235) - provides greater restrictions on carriers when rescinding/cancelling health insurance coverage.
    • Baltimore City - Medical Assistance Programs - Eligibility and Enrollment Information Mailings to Students (HB500) - requires Baltimore public schools to disclose information from  the National School Lunch Program regarding children eligible for Maryland Medical Assistance so that enrollment information can be sent  to their families.
    • Health Insurance - Reform (SB79) - prohibits health insurance applications from containing questions about pre-existing conditions.
    • The Coalition serves on a Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) “Barriers to Enrollment Workgroup” to identify and seek solutions to ensure that all those eligible for public health programs are enrolled. 
  • 2008
    • Kids First Act (HB 1391) - to identify and enroll up to 90,000 children eligible for Medicaid or the Maryland Children’s Health Insurance Program. This legislation, which pioneers a new approach using state tax information, is seen as a model for other states.
    • Preparation and distribution of a report on public health services and Marylanders’ access to essential health services at the local level.  The report was based on Coalition visits to local health departments around the state. Among the issues identified as requiring serious attention are the state’s antiquated computer systems, cutbacks to essential services due to restrictive budgets, and unmet health care needs at the local level.  This is an on-going project and the information will continue to be updated and circulated as appropriate. 
  • 2007 - Passage of health reform legislation to provide Maryland Medical Assistance health insurance coverage to:
    • Young adults to age 25;
    • Low income parents up to 116% of federal poverty level; and
    • Increase the state tobacco tax to pay for increased coverage.