Burnout continues to impact Maryland’s health workforce, with a number of public health workers and other staff leaving their employment at the Department of Health (MDH). During a recent briefing to state legislators, policy analysts from the Department of Legislative Services (DLS) reviewed MDH’s FY 2022 budget and workforce numbers. The analysis also found a … Read more
Advocates are urging state legislators to provide “observation and consideration” on the establishment of overdose prevention sites (OPS) in Baltimore. According to advocates at a legislative committee meeting last week, OPS can strengthen the state’s harm reduction system and save lives from drug overdose. Over 2,000 people in Maryland die each year from drug overdose, … Read more
Demand for telehealth in Maryland continues to be at the forefront of discussions among health experts and lawmakers. The 2021 Legislative Session marked an important development in virtual care with the passage of the Preserve Telehealth Access Act, which ensured telehealth would be available to all Medicaid recipients regardless of the state public health emergency, … Read more
Maryland policymakers began the hearing process for several health bills this week during the 2022 legislative session. Here are the latest bills to watch, from increasing reimbursement rates for emergency medical services to newborn screening. H.B. 109 – Maryland Department of Health — System for Newborn Screening — Requirements This bill clarifies that … Read more
Behavioral health is currently the top priority in Maryland’s health care sphere, according to Del. Joseline Pena-Melnyk (D – Anne Arundel), Chair of the Maryland House Public Health and Minority Health Disparities Subcommittee. The subcommittee met this week to hear updates from the Health Services Cost Review Commission (HSCRC), which devised a workgroup to address … Read more
Delegate Bonnie Cullison (D – Montgomery) is a member of the Maryland House Health and Government Operations Committee. The 2022 Legislative Session began earlier this month and the committee is currently reviewing over 60 health bills, including nine from Cullison. In this Q&A, Cullison shares her health care priorities which include behavioral health during the … Read more
Vaccine mandates, issues with vendors, and more put Maryland Secretary of Health Dennis R. Schrader under scrutiny as he updated Senate President Bill Ferguson (D – Baltimore City) and other members of the Senate Vaccine Oversight Workgroup on the state’s response to the Omicron variant late last week. COVID-19 hospitalizations have reached an … Read more
“Fiasco,” “debacle,” and “administrative nightmare” were among the words behavioral health providers and legislators used to describe the ongoing claims reconciliation process with the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) and its system vendor, Optum, at the House Health and Human Services Subcommittee meeting last week. Optum’s system officially launched back in Jan. 2020 … Read more