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Bill would expand consultant study of Maryland’s health care financing and delivery ahead of federal AHEAD model start
Summary
House Bill 1376 would require the independent consultant contracted by the Maryland Department of Health to expand its review of state health care finance and delivery systems and recommend options to maximize coverage and access as Maryland prepares to enter the federal AHEAD model.
The Health and Government Operations Committee heard House Bill 13 76 on Friday. Delegate Andy Duvall presented the bill on behalf of Delegate Jay P. (presenting staff described as "Andy Duvall" working from the sponsor’s office), describing it as a refinement of a study the General Assembly commissioned in 2024.
HB 13 76 would amend Chapters 794 and 795 of the Acts of 2024 — the earlier study statutes — by adding required tasks for the independent consultant contracted to review the Maryland Department of Health’s statutory and regulatory duties. According to the sponsor’s presentation, the expanded scope would direct the consultant to analyze current provision of health care coverage and services, review other states’ strategies for universal access and affordability, and recommend options and funding approaches the state should consider to maximize coverage for residents.
Delegate Duvall highlighted the timing: Maryland has agreed to participate in the federal “AHEAD” model (States Advancing All-Payer Health Equity Approaches and Development), and the sponsor said the state’s first AHEAD performance year will begin in 2026, coinciding with the MDH report due in January 2026. He said the additional study requirements would produce a more comprehensive report to inform Maryland’s initial AHEAD implementation.
The presenter said the bill is expected to be relatively low cost and that the sponsor is offering a technical amendment to remove redundant language. The Maryland Department of Health provided testimony and worked with the sponsor on the bill’s amendment language.
An opponent, Deborah Brocato of Maryland Right to Life, testified that she opposed the bill on the grounds that she believed provisions related to consolidating payers could affect abortion access and out-of-state prescription practices via telehealth. The sponsor, Delegate Duvall (presenting for the sponsor), responded on the record that the bill is a study and a review of existing state systems and that it does not itself change coverage or require consolidation of payers.
No committee action or vote was recorded in the hearing transcript. The sponsor requested a favorable report.
