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Committee approves making Maryland young-adult subsidy program permanent, limits implementation to available funds
Summary
The Health and Government Operations Committee voted to repeal the sunset for the state-based young adult health insurance subsidies program, allowing the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange to implement it only if funds are available. The program is funded from the reinsurance fund at $20 million per year; the committee vote was not unanimous.
The Health and Government Operations Committee on Friday advanced House Bill 297, which removes the program termination date for the Maryland state‑based young adult health insurance subsidies program and authorizes (rather than requires) the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange to establish and implement the program if funds are available.
The measure, sponsored in the transcript by Delegate Collison and described to the committee by an analyst identified as Lisa, would rename the existing pilot as a program and repeal its sunset. "This is a program that we've been — that's been going on for about four years now," Delegate Collison said, adding it has been successful in enrolling young people and broadening the insurance pool.
The bill continues the program's funding source as the state's reinsurance fund at $20,000,000 per year; the sponsor said that amount does not increase automatically and that carryover of unused funds was permitted last year. The committee adopted amendments that change the Exchange's obligation into an authorization and explicitly prohibit implementation if required funds are not available.
Debate in committee was not unanimous. Delegate Collison told members the program benefits the insurance pool, but several members recorded opposition when the committee voted. The transcript lists members who registered opposition as "Delegate Chelega, Delegate Chisholm, Delegate Morgan, Delegate Riley, Delegate Hutchinson, [and] Delegate Kipke." The amendments were adopted and the bill moved as amended.
The bill now moves on in the legislative process; the committee record indicates the amendment was moved and seconded and the bill as amended was approved on a recorded voice vote with the named oppositions noted.
Details not specified in the committee discussion: the bill text beyond the changes summarized by the analyst and the precise numerical vote tally (the transcript lists only named oppositions).
