Healthcare

HB 882 repeals the requirement that the Governor must include a mandatory $350,000 annual appropriation for the State's Consumer Health Information Hub in the budget. It also removes the automatic expiration date (June 30, 2026) for the Hub's funding provisions. The bill changes the Hub's mandate to carry out its duties "to the extent funding is available," meaning its operations now depend on annual budget decisions rather than guaranteed funding. This directly affects the Hub - designated as the University of Maryland Herschel S. Horowitz Center for Health Literacy - by eliminating its guaranteed funding stream and making its services subject to yearly budget approvals.

SB 466 modifies Maryland's income tax credit for physicians mentoring medical students in underserved areas. It removes a requirement that students must be enrolled in Maryland medical schools and reduces the minimum hours per clinical rotation from 100 to 90. The bill directly affects licensed physicians serving as preceptors in areas designated as having health care workforce shortages by the state. This change aims to expand eligibility for the $1,000-per-student rotation tax credit (capped at $10,000 annually per physician), potentially increasing mentor availability in shortage regions. The credit remains limited to $100,000 total annually for all physicians.

SB 792 requires the State Health Services Cost Review Commission to create and publish a model policy for hospitals regarding immigration enforcement actions. It also mandates that certain hospitals in Maryland develop their own policies based on this model. The bill amends specific sections of Maryland's health code to implement these requirements, focusing on standardizing how hospitals address immigration enforcement within their facilities. This directly affects designated hospitals by making written policies on immigration enforcement a formal requirement.

HB 498 removes an existing exemption that allowed intermediate care facilities providing substance use disorder treatment to change bed capacity without a certificate of need. It specifically targets facilities offering "medically managed residential substance use disorder treatment services," requiring them to file 45 days' written notice with the health commission before operating or expanding. The commission must then review and approve these changes based on whether they align with the state health plan, improve service efficiency, and serve the public interest. This bill directly affects facilities providing residential substance use treatment by adding a review process for bed capacity changes or new operations, replacing the previous exemption.