Health Insurance - Lyme Disease and Related Tick-Borne Illnesses - Long-Term Antibiotic Treatment

HB 1375 requires Maryland health insurers, nonprofit health plans, and health maintenance organizations to cover the full duration of long-term antibiotic treatment for Lyme disease and related tick-borne illnesses (like babesiosis or ehrlichiosis) when ordered by a licensed physician for therapeutic purposes. It prohibits these entities from imposing caps or time limits on such treatment or denying coverage solely because the treatment is labeled "unproven," "experimental," or "investigational." The law applies to all health insurance policies issued, delivered, or renewed in Maryland after January 1, 2027. This directly affects patients with chronic Lyme disease or related conditions who rely on extended antibiotic therapy and their insurers.