This Maryland bill expands protections against noncompete and conflict of interest clauses by applying existing restrictions to employees of companies that move their majority of workers or headquarters out of the state. The law makes such restrictive clauses automatically unenforceable for workers earning at or below 150% of the state minimum wage, those in licensed health occupations, and direct patient care roles earning up to $350,000 annually. For higher-paid health care workers, the bill maintains current limits by capping noncompete agreements to one year and restricting geographic restrictions to within 10 miles of their primary workplace. Employers of these health care employees must also notify patients if a former employee relocates to a new practice location. The changes apply only to employment contracts signed on or after October 1, 2026.
SB 515 requires Maryland's Health Services Cost Review Commission to consider all operational costs incurred by health facilities - including expenses for physicians and other providers without corresponding billing revenue - when setting hospital rates. This affects hospitals and health facilities operating under Maryland's all-payer model, as the Commission must now factor in full costs during rate reviews. The bill amends existing law to mandate that the Commission evaluate facility financial health and certify rates based on complete cost accounting, rather than excluding certain expenses. This change ensures rates more accurately reflect actual facility operations, including costs for professional services that previously weren't fully counted.
SB 433 extends the timeframe for temporary protective orders in Maryland from 7 to 14 days after service and requires final protective order hearings to occur within 14 days of service, rather than 7 days. It also adds new provisions allowing judges to order respondents to pay specific costs incurred due to abuse, including medical/dental care, property repairs, shelter, transportation, court fees, and attorney fees. The bill clarifies that monetary awards under these provisions do not prevent petitioners from seeking additional compensation later for unawarded expenses. This directly affects individuals seeking protection from abuse (petitioners) and those accused of abuse (respondents) in family law cases. The changes take effect October 1, 2026.
HB 813 authorizes Maryland's Medicaid program (Maryland Medical Assistance Program) to cover comprehensive obesity treatment, including intensive behavioral therapy, bariatric surgery, and FDA-approved weight management medications, starting January 1, 2027. The bill requires the Maryland Department of Health to notify Medicaid recipients if it chooses to provide this coverage and mandates a report to the legislature by November 1, 2027, on implementation progress. This directly affects Medicaid recipients with obesity by expanding covered treatments beyond current scope. The program may use standard utilization management processes (like for other conditions) to assess medical necessity but is not required to offer the coverage.
SB 90 adds hypertension to Maryland's list of occupational diseases presumed to be work-related for specific emergency responders. It makes firefighters, fire fighting instructors, rescue squad members, advanced life support unit members, and State Fire Marshal personnel eligible for workers' compensation benefits if they have hypertension diagnosed by a provider, experience it for at least 90 consecutive days, have at least 2 years of cumulative service in those roles, and are currently employed in those positions. This creates a legal presumption that the hypertension is work-related, eliminating the need to prove direct causation, while clarifying that individuals cannot receive both workers' compensation and disability retirement benefits for the same hypertension condition. The bill takes effect October 1, 2026.
SB 608 requires Maryland's Medicaid program (Maryland Medical Assistance Plan) and certain health insurers, nonprofit health plans, and health maintenance organizations to cover single-gene and multigene pharmacogenomic testing starting July 1, 2027. This applies specifically when a treating provider orders the test for patients with depression or anxiety who are considering a medication change, dose adjustment, or addition with a known gene-drug interaction. The bill limits prior authorization requirements to ensure timely access, mandating clear pathways, minimal documentation, and sufficient time for submissions without creating unnecessary delays. Noncompliance could result in penalties of up to $10,000 per violation plus $1,000 daily until resolved. The law aims to improve medication safety and effectiveness by making this genetic testing accessible for targeted patient groups.
SB 774, the "TRUTH in Mental Health Coverage Act," requires Maryland health insurance carriers to annually report detailed claims data on mental health and substance use coverage starting in 2028. This affects all insurers offering health benefit plans in Maryland, mandating they submit standardized data on access, network availability, and coverage for services like outpatient care, telehealth, and youth/adult services. The report must include breakdowns by facility type, provider specialty, service format, and geographic area. The Maryland Insurance Commissioner will make this data publicly available through a website and interactive dashboards to improve transparency for consumers.
SB 876 requires recovery residences in Maryland to obtain certification from an approved credentialing entity before operating, beginning January 1, 2027. This directly affects recovery residences - housing facilities providing alcohol- and drug-free living for individuals with substance use disorders (but not clinical treatment services). The bill mandates credentialing entities to establish standards, conduct inspections, and issue annual certificates, with penalties of up to $1,000 per violation for operating without certification or falsely advertising certification. It replaces existing authorization language with a mandatory requirement and adds transparency through public lists of certified residences and credentialing entities.
SB 870 requires the Maryland Department of Health to ensure at least 24 licensed adolescent psychiatric inpatient beds are operational in Prince George’s County by December 2028. The bill mandates the Department to expand capacity through existing facilities, private contracts, or public-private partnerships, prioritizing solutions that reduce emergency department boarding and ensure access regardless of insurance. It also creates a grant program to fund capital costs like construction, renovations, and safety upgrades for qualifying facilities. The Department must report annually to the Governor and General Assembly on bed availability, boarding metrics, staffing barriers, and recommendations for maintaining capacity.
SB 917 clarifies the scope of practice for audiologists in Maryland by updating the legal definition of "practice audiology." It directly affects licensed audiologists by explicitly including the ordering and performing of in-office, non-radiographic scanning or imaging of the ear for auditory or vestibular conditions. The bill adds this specific imaging authority to existing duties like diagnosing ear conditions and fitting hearing aids, while clarifying that audiologists cannot perform surgeries, cochlear implant procedures, or prepare radiographic imaging. The change takes effect October 1, 2026, and aims to align legal definitions with current clinical practices.
