5 Things Maryland: Keynote videos, Q&A w/Del. Kenneth Kerr, Health financing

Thank you so much to everyone who attended the 2022 Maryland State of Reform Health Policy Conference earlier this month! It was a day filled with great energy, insightful presentations, and engaging conversations. If you weren’t able to join us, we’ve put together a “What You Missed” video that will give you a sense of the sights and sounds from the event.

Below you’ll find videos of two of our keynotes, coverage of our panel on the future of health financing, and a conversation with Del. Kenneth Kerr on health coverage for young adults.

Thank you for your support!

Emily Boerger
State of Reform

1. 

Keynote: A conversation on health equity with Alan Weil

Maryland’s distinct regulatory structure offers unique opportunities to address health equity in ways that are unavailable in other states, said Health Affairs Editor-in-Chief Alan Weil during our Morning Keynote. During the conversation, Weil and Maria Tildon, Vice President of State and Local Affairs at Johns Hopkins University & Johns Hopkins Medicine, discussed health equity, the social determinants of health, and the effects of racism on our communities.

Weil says racism is a population-based phenomenon and it therefore needs to be addressed through population-based interventions. He says Maryland has already established the basic elements of a population-based approach. “The whole notion of moving from volume to value, the notion of total cost of care, the notion of trying to look at population outcomes—that’s in the Maryland conversation in a way that frankly is newer in most of the rest of the country.” You can view their full conversation here.

2. Total Cost of Care & the future of health financing

Maryland’s unique Total Cost of Care model continues to shape the state’s recovery from the pandemic, especially among hospitals and other health facilities. During a panel on population health financing at the State of Reform conference, MHA CEO Bob Atlas, HFAM CEO Joe DeMattos, and HSCRC Executive Director Katie Wunderlich discussed the impact of COVID on finances and where the state is headed next.

The future of the Total Cost of Care model was also a key point of conversation during our Lunch Keynote with Kate Sapra, Director of the Division of All-Payer Models at CMMI. Sapra shared an update on CMMI’s vision for the model going forward and reviewed ways to advance novel health financing solutions.

3. What They’re Watching: Del. Kenneth Kerr

As a member of the House Health and Government Operations Committee, Del. Kenneth Kerr is following the progress of the State-Based Young Adult Health Insurance Subsidies Pilot Program. The program, which was established via legislation during the 2021 session, aims to make health coverage more accessible for low-income Marylanders aged 18-34.

The program operates through the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange and uses subsidies to reduce the costs of individual health coverage plans for those who are eligible. Kerr says the pilot program saw a “massive increase in enrollment” of young Marylanders. “That’s our largest group of uninsured,” Kerr says. “We were able to move the needle on that in only the first year of the pilot program.”

4. MHCC releases RFP for long-term care database

The Maryland Health Care Commission is seeking a contractor to update and expand the Minimum Data Set (MDS) Manager for long-term care services in the state. MHCC utilizes this data for developing the State Health Plan, tracking nursing home and long-term care utilization, and Certificate of Need regulatory activities. Among several tasks, the contractor will be charged with data intake, data processing and quality, the creation of reports, and maintaining Long Term Care Survey information.

MHCC released a request for proposals earlier this month for the five-year contract. Offerors will have until June 3, 2022, to send questions about the RFP, while completed proposals are due by 4 pm Eastern Time on June 17th, 2022.

5. Hogan signs $30 insulin price cap, capital budget

Starting January 1st, 2023, health plans will be required to limit copays or coinsurance for prescription insulin drugs to no more than $30 for a 30-day supply. The Insulin Cost Reduction Act, which codifies this change, was among several health bills Gov. Larry Hogan signed last week. Other signed bills include an update to the State Plan on Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias and the authorization of paramedics to continue to administer influenza and COVID vaccines.

Hogan also signed this year’s capital budget bill, which includes $4 billion for various improvement projects. These include $6.5 million for the Community Health Facilities Grant Program and $2.5 million to the FQHC Grant Program.