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Delegate seeks statewide detox fund for uninsured and underinsured youth; sponsor plans amendment to make bill statewide
Summary
A sponsor said she will convert a local bill to a statewide measure that would create a fund to pay for up to 90 days of detoxification care for uninsured or underinsured youth, financed from opioid settlement funds; committee members pressed fiscal and operational questions and asked for amendments clarifying eligibility and reporting.
A bill introduced to establish a detoxification fund for uninsured or underinsured young people would cover up to 90 days of detox care, the sponsor said at a Health and Government Operations Committee hearing.
"This fund would provide young people struggling with substance use the opportunity to receive up to 90 days of detox care," Delegate DeBarras told the committee, describing the measure as part of a package addressing youth addiction.
The sponsor said the bill was initially drafted as a Prince George’s County local bill but would be converted into a statewide proposal and funded from the Maryland Opioid Restitution Fund if the committee supports it. "They have requested that this become a statewide bill," the sponsor said when asked by a committee member.
Committee members pressed for operational details. Members asked whether the fund is means‑tested, whether the fund can bill insurers or supplant existing coverage, and whether administrative costs are covered. The sponsor said the proposal targets uninsured or underinsured youth and is intended to "supplant" coverage gaps for people without 90‑day benefits; the sponsor and committee discussed that local behavioral health authorities would manage care locally and that administrative costs may still fall to local jurisdictions unless the bill or allocation is changed.
Members also discussed whether the program would continue if the opioid restitution fund ended. The sponsor said the package of bills in the youth addiction group would likely terminate with the end of the opioid settlement funding, and that the bill is intended as part of a larger strategy including prevention, testing for fentanyl in street drugs, 90‑day residential detox, and follow‑up residential rehabilitation.
Witnesses and advocates urged clarity in the reprint about the population covered (homeless youth, those involved with juvenile services, expelled students were removed as a primary identification route) and on metrics for outcomes. Committee members asked the sponsor to coordinate with the Behavioral Health Administration and the governor’s Office of Opioid Response while drafting required amendments. The sponsor said the Behavioral Health Administration had taken a neutral posture and that she was in discussions to secure additional funding for long‑term rehab.
Ending: The sponsor said amendments will be drafted to convert the bill from a local to a statewide measure and to clarify eligibility, funding source and reporting; the committee asked for those amendments and further fiscal analysis before final action.
