Tag: health care reform
Final action on bills: updates on legislation covered earlier this session
Here are updates on the General Assembly’s action on bills we covered earlier this session, including open meetings, Obamacare, campaign finance reform and the soft-shell crab sandwich
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Reaction to Supreme Court decision on health care includes victory dances and calls for repeal
The torrent of comment on the Supreme Court decision to uphold most of the Affordable Care Act fell predictably along party and ideological lines: Democrats and progressives were exulting; Republicans and conservatives were disgusted, except for the ruling that the individual mandate was a tax. It will take several days to digest the full implications, but here are lightly edited versions of over two dozen Maryland reactions.
Read MoreMaryland leads states backing federal health insurance law
While attorneys general in Virginia, Florida and a dozen other states have sued to block federal health care reform, Maryland Attorney General Douglas Gansler is leading the charge to support the Affordable Care Act before the U.S. Supreme Court. Friday afternoon, Gansler filed a friend-of-court brief cosigned by attorneys general from 12 other states and territories supporting the constitutionality of the federal law.
Read MoreO’Malley criticizes Wisconsin Gov. Walker and spars with Texas Gov. Perry
Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) called Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s efforts to eradicate union employees’ bargaining rights a “drama” and a “circus” during a panel discussion hosted by Politico Friday. O’Malley said he learned as mayor of Baltimore: “When you’re facing tough challenges, when you have to overcome things like the imbalances in the pension system, I think it best when you bring people together to do that, and I think when you try to vilify or make one side of the equation the enemy I think you’re asking for trouble.
Read MoreGOP delegates want to throttle Maryland’s speedy implementation of health reform
Republican members of the House of Delegates want to slow down Maryland’s rapid implementation of federal health reform, calling it a potential waste of money now that two federal judges have overturned some or all of the law.
Read MoreInsurance Exchange should be its own agency, staff recommends
Health council staff recommended that the Health Care Reform Coordinating Council make the Maryland Insurance Exchange — the new entity for people without insurance and others to purchase coverage — an independent government agency.
At a meeting Tuesday morning, council members discussed this and several other recommendations about how federal health reforms will be implemented in the state.
Read MoreMd. health insurers worry about federal health care reform
Maryland health insurers told legislators Tuesday that federal health care reform would lead to higher insurance premiums, higher administrative costs and put some insurance brokers and agents out of business.
Acting Maryland Insurance Commissioner Beth Sammis told the Joint Committee on Health Care Delivery and Financing that because Maryland already has many of the federal requirements in place before the 2014 timeline for full implementation of the act, “in many areas there will be no change in premiums.”
Read MoreNew Maryland group looks at forming non-profit health insurance co-op
A new statewide group is trying to form a new insurance co-op to provide coverage for people who will be required to have it under the new federal law, but cannot afford it.
The Maryland Nonprofit Health Insurance Co-op is working on a year-long feasibility study to see if it will be able to start its own insurance carrier for those who cannot afford even the cheapest insurance. The proposed co-op would target adults between 19 and 64 living in the state’s I-95 corridor.
Read MoreSome confusion in Md. on federal health reform
The state is taking the first steps in implementing the federal health care reform bill, but officials are still struggling to get clarification on many parts of the new law.
Maryland’s new Health Care Reform Coordinating Council held its first meeting Thursday, resolving to find the best way to implement provisions of the landmark federal health care overhaul.
Read MoreAnalysis: Call for state to join federal health suit threat
Del. Pat McDonoug plans to request Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler to join attorneys general from 13 other states in a threat to file lawsuits against the U.S. government if the federal health care reform bill passes.
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