[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6634926,"mediaKeyId","2653482-6c521a2885744cb9094e410c1507e43b","parentId",2653482,"title","Health commissions face auditing, trauma funding questions and a push to restore school-behavioral health grants","audioSeconds",5629,"startMs",5639000,"endMs",9158,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2653482-6c521a2885744cb9094e410c1507e43b&start=5639&end=9","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2653482-6c521a2885744cb9094e410c1507e43b/thumbnail_5639000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6634926/Maryland/Health-commissions-face-auditing-trauma-funding-questions-and-a-push-to-restore-school-behavioral-health-grants","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6634926-b7956ac55435e9c4460018ca4f16710b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770395795&Signature=e~qCxaF9mWn75pdp8rdDSCGyo8LJUN3IrsjZckgiEcBn6hCzeUFhebI8~t8r4slvHM8SXOafwQPH2xaFtMCpkHKXyqQmTc6Qn0TU8h4GPEiOxpN6qSjEBpIjpp40dUNR~cbh5Gmyv~-D1shAj2r06O-9AcVU6HBK4gT42z9GQ2ll7tTHJI5ti-vWEn6baz9i1ssu88dkPGNy3Ni87B0w542HgIdV22HyBUqDHfZzGJb-Eyb42j7tgebqJmZYDKDb2awUUdhnLdtpLLX24~R4h8AStWe074K7NzkSmUOEA4Jh5s3VcOpNNj-HndimwRFylED2sq9SE~dmo6QxtfqFEw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Maryland General Assembly - HHS","date","2025-03-01T20:36:26.22Z","article","The Health and Human Services Subcommittee heard budget briefings Feb. 28 from the Maryland Health Care Commission (MHCC), the Health Services Cost Review Commission (HSCRC) and affiliated regulatory entities on fiscal 2026 budgets, trauma-center funding, an impending federal AHEAD model and a legislatively created consortium that funds school behavioral-health services.

Anne Braun of DLS summarized the fiscal 2026 picture for the MDH regulatory entities and noted key items: a proposed $17 million increase for the Maryland Trauma Physician Services Fund supported by vehicle-registration surcharges, the winding down of a $15 million Health Equity Resource Community mandate in fiscal 2026, and an expected reduction in the user-fee cap for HSCRC that the commission said would create a shortfall unless legislation restores the prior cap formula. DLS also asked MHCC and HSCRC to clarify the amount of vehicle-registration surcharge revenue that should be distributed to Shock Trauma and whether budget documents have consistent figures.

John Cromm, Executive Director of HSCRC, said HSCRC serves as a pass-through for an appropriation intended to pay CRISP for Doctor First services; CRISP had not invoiced HSCRC because the contract between Doctor First and CRISP had not been finalized, so the $375,000 set aside had not been spent. Cromm said HSCRC expects to complete two audits of trauma-center costs in the second half of fiscal 2026 in response to a commission report that found higher trauma costs driven largely by outliers at three hospitals.

HSCRC and MHCC staff discussed preparing for the Advancing Health Equity and Development (AHEAD) model, a new federal agreement with CMS that will expand all-payer rate-setting goals to limit cost growth and add primary-care investment requirements starting in calendar 2026. DLS asked for continued evaluation of the Maryland Primary Care Program and clarification on how savings from new advanced primary-care initiatives would be shared with managed-care organizations; HSCRC concurred with continued evaluation and said it will develop the requested work products.

Separately, DLS presented figures on the consortium on coordinated community supports, which funds school-based prevention, early intervention and treatment services. DLS noted wide variation in per-student grant amounts across jurisdictions and that $109 million in active grants had been approved through fiscal 2025, serving more than 143,000 students. The proposed budget, however, contained a contingent reduction that would reduce annual consortium funding to $40 million beginning fiscal 2026. Members of the consortium and advocates urged restoring full funding. Rhea Gupta of Strong Schools Maryland and Anne Geddes of the Mental Health Association of Maryland told the committee the consortium is serving tens of thousands of students and that cutting funding would reduce services at a time of rising youth mental-health needs.

Tom Scalia, chief of the Shock Trauma Center, described how recent allocations have been used: adding two operating rooms (from six to eight scheduled weekdays), reducing length of stay for surgically treated patients by more than two days, decreasing transfers that resulted from capacity constraints and increasing programmatic services including stop-the-bleed training and violence-intervention participants. Scalia said Shock Trauma had markedly reduced time spent on capacity alert.

The Prescription Drug Affordability Board and the Maryland Patient Safety Center also spoke: MHCC reported the $750,000 earmark for a workplace-violence public awareness campaign has been spent on outreach and digital ads, and the Maryland Patient Safety Center, which receives a separate $1 million grant mandate starting fiscal 2024, told the committee the organization’s work on maternal safety and infection reduction is at risk if legislative funding is not continued.

DLS recommended releasing certain withheld funds for HSCRC after its compliance review and requested timelines on trauma audits and AHEAD-model preparations; HSCRC and MHCC agreed to provide further details and to complete the audits and analysis requested by the committee.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","HHS Committee Session, 2/27/2025 #1","oneSentenceSummary","MHCC, HSCRC and related health entities briefed the HHS Subcommittee on fiscal 2026 budget changes, trauma funding allocations, transition planning for a new federal AHEAD model and the future of consortium grants that fund school-based behavioral-health services.","taxTitle","Health and Human Services (HHS) Subcommittee, Budget and Taxation Committee, SENATE, SENATE, Committees, Legislative, Maryland","taxId",15733,"location","Maryland","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6634931,"Office of Home Energy Programs sees surge in applications, budget changes and system strain",1917,3452000,5369000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2653482-6c521a2885744cb9094e410c1507e43b&start=3452&end=5369","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2653482-6c521a2885744cb9094e410c1507e43b/thumbnail_3452000.jpg","/articles/6634931/Maryland/Office-of-Home-Energy-Programs-sees-surge-in-applications-budget-changes-and-system-strain","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6634931-c3d3e13ee92a4f5081d95ed153172571/orig.mp4?Expires=1770395795&Signature=RUTHtY1qi7bljxc-j3x8AJeJanQDxN9WZlFOYdbGusQ2WmJqYoIl9rB9b2OGRvA3n~AUynvQLjASiNNnFdgQE7IPqSMGdsrTwhxpEHxhX1drFtZiZcaKccvWVg94ks3hGJvDSkm6yjcfFhtlmei4ENvw55x6mA2VEjGF4nhThfxvaHP6NxwBAEKH4naYfnRrHi0T1g8tm3bkz3fbjh9-xYYiWFeisHKYb8Du1ElqKICVm3i~4nYPv10rY2SfnB5Mbxvk1dPIPzfWSpSM6QLO3oLK9AyMq-1WAG~liATlgRrqLxZyf3FrFcbt398YcmN~XH79N4GJ6V-6xPsEItGHfA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Office of Home Energy Programs (OHEAP) presented operations and fiscal 2026 budget pressures to the HHS Subcommittee, with DLS noting higher application volume after eligibility changes and DHS describing administrative and system fixes to address backlogs.

Subeksha Bujal of the Department of Legislative Services told the panel the fiscal 2026 OHEAP budget increases by $56 million (24.1%) to $288.2 million, primarily due to an increase in Strategic Energy Investment Fund (SEIF/RGGI) allocations. DLS reported that 94% of the OHEAP budget supports energy assistance benefits and highlighted a proposed deficiency appropriation totaling $30.9 million for fiscal 2026, of which $22.2 million is LIHEAP federal funds and $8.7 million is special funds. DLS also noted that Electric Universal Service Program (EUSP) surcharge revenue budgeted for fiscal 2026 exceeded statutory annual maximum collections and asked DHS to explain funding coverage for deficiency appropriations.

DLS noted a 61.1% increase in applications for energy assistance in fiscal 2024 after Chapter 207 (2023) raised income eligibility thresholds and implemented categorical eligibility; the office paused issuance of some benefits in April 2024 when federal funds were exhausted and updated benefit levels in fiscal 2025 to spread assistance across more households. Exhibit figures presented by DLS show that average benefit sizes fell in fiscal 2025 compared with 2024 and that recipients of some programs (e.g., gas arrearage assistance) declined because of program limits, prior receipt rules and a reduced maximum arrearage benefit.

Carnita White, Principal Deputy Secretary for DHS, and Courtney Thomas Winterberg, acting director for OHEAP, described steps taken after a surge of nearly 243,252 applications in 2024: local-site visits to 20 administering agencies, system upgrades, expanded access to a customer relationship management tool and staff training. White said processing rates and denial rates have improved in 2025, noting that year-to-date approvals reached 74% and denial rates dropped to below 25% from a 2024 spike above 50% for some programs.

DHS acknowledged call-center and fulfillment cost pressures linked to Medicaid redeterminations and mailed notice changes, and said it is monitoring administrative expenses and working with vendors to improve answer rates. DHS confirmed it does not expect additional LIHEAP funding from the federal government and is reviewing options for potential supplemental benefits if funds remain.

DLS recommended committee narrative and reporting requirements related to processing times, denial rates and performance measures; DHS concurred with several recommendations and disagreed in part with requested reductions to communications funding, arguing the fiscal 2026 amounts are needed to cover required mailings.","DLS and DHS discussed a 24.1% fiscal 2026 increase for the Office of Home Energy Programs driven largely by Strategic Energy Investment Fund (RGGI) allocations, a 61.1% jump in applications after eligibility changes, early exhaustion of some benefit lines in 2024, and call-center and processing improvements underway.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6634936,"Child Support Administration faces funding omission, low amnesty take-up and staffing strains",921,2043000,2964000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2653482-6c521a2885744cb9094e410c1507e43b&start=2043&end=2964","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2653482-6c521a2885744cb9094e410c1507e43b/thumbnail_2043000.jpg","/articles/6634936/Maryland/Child-Support-Administration-faces-funding-omission-low-amnesty-take-up-and-staffing-strains","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6634936-a69c95906194eb659881b1acfa2ad1a9/orig.mp4?Expires=1770395795&Signature=TRO8RxQm6UTmA1NG0AF7grVQCW3pI-eyz-ef1LP1umW5Gy6L5l0tAJIhElD6190ryHApS7tYQ-1rDvTSBcBc5evFbqgjvgW922NMaEgrRaxQiBBLivJr31J77XB1iMLrAehdLasytub55vJMZe0uyX41ptT9ERVLsoHCo2tLlJnFx7Imxy6kwsEyJvM~quBESZyNQgzxWq5i2mFoFzwpAUbkga9M2exw3umhTFdYJ7bl~Tra4xXMeBG4WGbbQHo2k8AdhorGH-nUYqFHqzyD7xMo3SX6DL3n7BAJm3LwY-HkEWFk4b6SMrC~~W8GhZcyo02ry9EJED61y~x6QkBjfw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Health and Human Services Subcommittee reviewed the Department of Human Services Child Support Administration (CSA) fiscal 2026 budget and operations, including a funding omission in the Child Support Reinvestment Fund and outcomes from a statewide driver’s license suspension amnesty.

Anne Braun, presenting for the Department of Legislative Services (DLS), said the fiscal 2026 CSA allowance rises by about $7.7 million to roughly $109.4 million and attributed most of the increase to higher cooperative reimbursement agreements that fund federal child-support enforcement activity. Braun flagged an omission: a portion of the Child Support Reinvestment Fund special-fund appropriation was left out of both the fiscal 2025 appropriation and the fiscal 2026 allowance. “The Child Support Administration is federally mandated to provide services supported by the Child Support Reinvestment Fund,” DHS officials later told the committee, and they are working with the Department of Budget and Management to restore $20,050,163 in appropriations to align with revenue projections.

Carnita White, Principal Deputy Secretary for DHS, and Jonas Johnson, Executive Director of the Child Support Administration, responded to DLS concerns and detailed program activity. Johnson said the administration has submitted previously overdue performance reports and that federal fiscal 2024 results showed the state met paternity and current collections goals. On the driver-license amnesty program, DLS described limited financial impact: of roughly 21,500 eligible noncustodial parents, 1,127 (about 5.2%) participated, owing $283.5 million in arrears collectively with an average arrears balance of $13,147; the program collected about $594,000 (roughly 0.2% of total arrears) and sent compliance letters to the Motor Vehicle Administration to reinstate licenses for participants. Johnson and DHS leadership said the amnesty succeeded in reinstating driving privileges but acknowledged barriers to participation, including fear of enforcement and incomplete contact information.

Staffing and reporting were also discussed. DLS noted about 54.6 vacant positions as of Dec. 31, 2024, and that several positions had been vacant for more than a year; DHS said active recruitments were under way and some positions had been redeployed to cover long-term absences. In public comment, Stanton Owens, an AFSCME Local 112 member and child support worker, testified that understaffing and turnover were creating high caseloads, burnout and declining morale and urged keeping a 1% cost-of-living adjustment for state employees to retain staff.

DLS recommended committee narrative requiring three child support performance reports. DHS agreed to work with DBM on the omitted appropriation and to continue improving public data and outreach strategies for programs such as the amnesty effort.","DHS officials and DLS discussed a $109.4 million Child Support Administration budget, an omitted Child Support Reinvestment Fund appropriation that DHS is working to correct, a driver's license amnesty program with low participation and modest collections, and staff vacancy and morale concerns raised by employees.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6634941,"Maryland Health Benefit Exchange seeks funding to sustain reinsurance, flags audit findings",470,583000,1053000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2653482-6c521a2885744cb9094e410c1507e43b&start=583&end=1053","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2653482-6c521a2885744cb9094e410c1507e43b/thumbnail_583000.jpg","/articles/6634941/Maryland/Maryland-Health-Benefit-Exchange-seeks-funding-to-sustain-reinsurance-flags-audit-findings","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6634941-13132b5b00b250bf53bc86f8721c8ee8/orig.mp4?Expires=1770395795&Signature=bzLYnPHwjImmzbkru109ymRGKU2QY7kwycDsETfqP1~Miz8eIEJyNIChFcrAa5SuaE8UyFxZ8RAGja13Qpb1U41mCGaoepp0CNK-W6yR6bXPZ~vKZN~Vp5j1e70T-MuqYMtUe7kxGNd-0g8aVDRm872rl57o~TzxeuD73i9ahOW9hC6drT6gnKr3XvXjepeKaJHgNRr0OiozJyEoNlnktjA37415Rl7WnzRdj9ygg-bmRTy4Q6qNDIbUNA7XtpdNQ10Oxw5~Bevx8PGxqGkDK5AwFZVVz9k8Vv5YVyz1JvDLd313-Jf3yqCO1gBdVCS~cmiD2xemau1sreVXLGal4Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Health and Human Services Subcommittee heard a presentation Feb. 28 from the Department of Legislative Services analyst and the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange on the exchange’s fiscal 2026 budget and recent audit findings.

Victoria Martinez, the DLS presenter, said the fiscal 2026 allowance for the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange (MHBE) increases by $31.6 million, to $718.7 million, with roughly 83% of the budget devoted to the State Reinsurance Program and about 4% for the young adult subsidy program. “The largest change is a $30,000,000 increase for payments within the reinsurance program,” Martinez said, citing DLS exhibits that show reinsurance costs have outpaced federal pass-through funding and required provider assessment dollars to cover the gap.

The reinsurance program, established in 2018, is intended to lower premiums on the individual market. DLS said reinsurance costs grew in calendar 2023 by about $59 million over 2022 and that projected reductions in federal enhanced subsidies will lower federal pass-through funds in 2026, increasing pressure on state provider-assessment dollars. Martinez also noted the fiscal 2026 allowance includes $26 million for the young adult subsidy program; because the statutory authorization for the subsidies runs only through calendar 2025, DLS recommended making $13 million contingent on legislation extending the program into 2026.

Michelle Eberly, Executive Director of the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange, told the panel the exchange administers Maryland Health Connection and stressed the exchange does not use reinsurance pass-through funds for its administration. “The exchange does not use any of these state funds for its administration or operations,” Eberly said, adding the reinsurance fund was solvent through Dec. 31, 2028 under current projections. Eberly described technology and customer-service investments the exchange has made, including AI chatbot integration and migration of environments to MHBAWS that the agency estimates could save about $750,000 annually.

The DLS analysis outlined an OLA legislative audit released January 2025 that contained eight findings related to Medicaid eligibility and fund administration. Martinez said MHBE reported corrective action for two recommendations and disagreed with four. Eberly and MHBE staff characterized several contested audit findings as matters of interagency policy directed by the Maryland Department of Health and federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) practices, in particular the agency’s verification approach for applicants who report zero income and use of state wage records and federal tax records for income verification. Eberly said a technical system change to select the most current wage data would deploy on Feb. 28 to address limited situations where older data were selected.

On the young adult subsidy, Eberly noted legislation (cross-filed as SB 5 and HB 297) had passed both chambers and was moving between them to extend the subsidy. DLS recommended committee language making half of the fiscal 2026 subsidy funding contingent on statutory extension.

The committee did not take any votes during the presentation. MHBE officials agreed to follow up with the committee on corrective actions taken since the audit and to implement the DLS recommendation that would condition part of the young adult subsidy funding on legislative extension.","Maryland Health Benefit Exchange officials and DLS discussed a $718.7 million fiscal 2026 allowance driven largely by reinsurance payments, debated continuation of a young adult subsidy, and addressed an OLA legislative audit with several findings and agency responses.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Health commissions face auditing, trauma funding questions and a push to restore school-behavioral health grants

Office of Home Energy Programs sees surge in applications, budget changes and system strain

Child Support Administration faces funding omission, low amnesty take-up and staffing strains

Maryland Health Benefit Exchange seeks funding to sustain reinsurance, flags audit findings