Legislative Hotline
2005 SESSION OF THE
MARYLAND GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Volume
13, Number 9������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� March 30, 2005
Here are some of the hot
issues as the 2005 Legislative Session develops:
MEDICAL LIABILITY REFORM
MEDICAID MEDICAL LOSS RATIOS
BILLS
INTRODUCED
STAFF CONTACT INFORMATION
SB 836, the corrective bill
to HB 2 of the Special Session, has now passed both the Senate and the
House.� Three amendments were introduced
on the floor of the House, all of the amendments failed and the bill passed on
a 130 – 3 vote.� This bill was an
emergency measure and passed by more than the required three-fifths
majority.� If the Governor does not act
on the bill by Thursday, March 31st the bill will become effective
without his signature.� This bill was
important to
Additionally, the House
Judiciary passed House Bill 114, sponsored by Delegate Bobby Zirkin, on Friday.�
The committee amended the bill to include a number of additional reform
measures such as enhanced apology protection, mandatory remittitur,
mandatory neutral expert witness, bad faith venue, and additional insurance
reform.� The bill also provides for a
summer task force charged with studying structured judgments, limited immunity
for emergency department providers, a no-fault birth related neurological
injury fund, and additional insurance reform.�
The bill passed second reading over the weekend and third reading on
Monday.� It will now have to pass a
Senate committee and the full Senate in the next two weeks in order to become
law
For further information
please contact Heather Barthel.
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The House and Senate
committees have adopted identical amendments addressing Medicaid Medical Loss
Ratios (MLR).� Originally, bills were
introduced to repeal the statutory 85% MLR, thereby allowing an MCO to earn
larger profits.� After several meetings
and workgroups, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) and the MCOs agreed to amendments that retains the 85% MLR, but
allows an MCO sanctioned under a violation of the minimum MLR to appeal the
decision of the Secretary.� In addition,
before DHMH may levy a sanction, regulations are required to establish a
standard definition of MLR to be used by all MCOs,
procedures for reviewing an MCOs
financial performance beyond one year, standard data collection and reporting
requirements, and the conditions under which the Secretary may levy the
sanction.� Finally, the amendments
prevents DHMH from altering the current quality initiatives unless the
performance measures are adopted by regulations and revised targets for the
measures are provided to the MCOs at least 3 months
prior to implementation.�
The language regarding the
performance measures supersedes language currently included in the FY 2006
operating budget that requires DHMH to withhold 0.5% of the MCOs
capitation rates (approximately $8 million in total funds) and pay these funds
as incentive payments at the end of the year.�
The withhold has been opposed by all MCOs because previous incentive funding pools have been
re-allocated by the budget committees for other initiatives.�
For further information
please contact Jim Kaufman.
Budget-Capital
Long Term Care/Nursing Homes
BILLS INTRODUCED
Budget - Capital
HB1605 �Creation of a State Debt -
The bill creates a $16 million state grant to
the
Effective
Date:� June 1, 2005
For more
information, please contact:� Jim Kaufman
Long Term Care/Nursing Homes
SB1012 �Nursing Facilities - Quality Assessment - Medicaid Reimbursement
The bill authorizes DHMH to impose a quality
assessment on each nursing facility with 41 or more beds.� The assessment may not exceed 2% of the net
operating revenue for all nursing facilities operating in the state for the
previous 3-month period.� The funds from
this assessment collected by the state shall be used to fund reimbursements to
nursing facilities under the Medicaid program.�
These funds may not supplant funds already appropriated for this
purpose.
Effective
Date:� July 1, 2005
For more
information, please contact:� Sheila
Higdon
STAFF
CONTACT INFORMATION
Please contact Government Relations if you have concerns or would like
additional information. Your input assists us greatly in evaluating and
formulating the position of Johns Hopkins on all legislation.
Legislative Session Office
410-269-0057
fax 410-269-1574
Heather Barthel������������������� [email protected]
Mickey Geisler��������������������� [email protected]
Matt Greenwood������������������ [email protected]
Sheila Higdon��������������������� [email protected]
Jim Kaufman����������������������� [email protected]
John Safapour�������������������� [email protected]
Bret Schreiber��������������������� [email protected]
Cathy Ximenez������������������� [email protected]
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Johns
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