Health and Government Operations Committee advances slate of health, veterans and consumer-protection bills

The Health and Government Operations Committee voted favorably on a package of bills during a March voting session, advancing measures on hospital population-health funding under the AHEAD model, burial eligibility for National Guard and Reserve members, licensure reciprocity and workforce rules for nursing and dental professions, midwife discipline, opioid settlement transparency, and several consumer-protection and insurance items.

Committee chair opened the voting meeting as “voting list number 8,” saying the bills had been worked in subcommittees and would move quickly. The panel approved most measures unanimously or with only a handful of members recorded in opposition during roll calls.

Why it matters: The most consequential action for statewide health policy was approval of the Department of Health’s AHEAD-model implementation bill, which creates a Population Health Improvement Fund and authorizes a uniform, rate-based hospital assessment to generate funds for statewide population-health initiatives tied to the state’s AHEAD agreement with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The fund and assessment mechanism are required elements of Maryland’s participation in the AHEAD total cost-of-care model, and the bill includes reporting and a sunset date for the fund’s assessment.

Key bills and committee action

AHEAD model and Population Health Improvement Fund (departmental bill): Staff analyst Erin told the committee the bill establishes the Population Health Improvement Fund to support statewide population-health targets under the AHEAD model and any successor models. The Health Services Cost Review Commission (HSCRC) may assess a uniform, rate-based, reasonable amount on hospital rates each year; proceeds would pay for statewide population-health initiatives that align with the statewide health equity plan and CMS state agreement. The bill requires annual reporting beginning July 1, 2026, to the General Assembly on funded programs, targeted populations, measures of effectiveness, and an accounting of all funding sources. The assessment mechanism and fund portion of the bill are scheduled to sunset on Jan. 1, 2032. The committee moved the bill as amended; several delegates recorded opposition on the final vote.

Military-related expansions and burial eligibility (House Bill 448 and House Bill 466): Committee staff member Lindsey described a pair of bills that update definitions by reference to the U.S. Code and expand certain protections for members of the uniformed services. House Bill 448 incorporates multiple technical and…