The new law is in part of response to the Trump administration's efforts to kill the Affordable Care Act, along with the end of the mandate requiring people to have insurance or else pay a tax penalty. (Photo: Bloomberg)
New legislation signed by Maryland Governor Larry Hogan is a bipartisan effort to help the state's uninsureds find affordable health care coverage.
As reported by the Associated Press, the law could prove to be a model for other states. Said Stan Dorn, director of the National Center for Coverage Innovation, “We haven't begun beating the drum, and we've already heard from Oregon, New Mexico and Virginia. I'm expecting we're going to hear from state capitals all around the country, interested in following up with what's happened here.”
What's happened is this: by checking a box on their state income tax returns, uninsured taxpayers will have their tax return information checked by the state's health care exchange to see if they qualify for low-cost insurance coverage. Those who qualify for Medicaid will be enrolled automatically, while the exchange will reach out to people who qualify for private coverage.
Related: Who are America's uninsured?
Hogan worked with the Democrats who control the state's General Assembly on the legislation, as well as on measures that raise the smoking age from 18 to 21 and includes vaping in their description of tobacco products. He told AP, “We are also proud to continue Maryland's record of leadership on health care by enacting legislation to further improve access and lower costs.”
Dorn's estimated that “tens of thousands of Maryland residents who do not have health insurance who are eligible for low-cost insurance but don't know it.” Sen. Brian Feldman, a Democrat, also characterized the new law as part of a response to the Trump administration's efforts to kill the Affordable Care Act, along with the end of the mandate requiring people to have insurance or else pay a tax penalty.
“We've been continuing to look for bipartisan ways to get more Marylanders health insurance,” Feldman told AP. “We've made a lot of strides. About six or seven years ago, we had about 760,000 people without health insurance. Now, we're down to 360,000, and in light of what's happening at the federal level — the dismantling of the Affordable Care Act, the elimination of the mandate, we're starting to see some backtracking on that. So, we came up with an idea here that's first in the nation that you can use the state income tax return to check a box, and it will immediately opt in.”
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Marlene Satter
Marlene Y. Satter has worked in and written about the financial industry for decades.
