Governor Ehrlich Signs Health Legislation Into Law
Governor Ehrlich Signs Health Legislation Into Law
Governor Announces Health Centers Legislation, Lead Poisoning Bill
Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr., today signed into law 166 pieces of legislation, including bills that strengthen Maryland's lead poisoning prevention laws and creates a community health safety net program. The Governor's legislation reduces elevated blood lead levels required to make notice to property owners and provides health centers greater access to federal dollars.
"My Administration is committed to improving public health, creating more affordable health insurance, and increasing access to prescription drugs," said Governor Ehrlich. "Collectively, these bills represent significant bipartisan steps in assisting Maryland's most vulnerable citizens with their critical health care needs."
Bills signed into law include:
Senate Bill 210 - Federally Qualified Health Centers: Makes permanent a program the Governor has spearheaded for the past two years in which the State has awarded 12 capital grants totaling approximately $4 million to FQHCs around the State to expand access to care for the uninsured and underinsured.
House Bill 251 - Lead Poisoning Prevention: Aims to eliminate childhood lead poisoning in Maryland by 2010 and reduces elevated blood levels to initiate notice to property owners. This legislation also eliminates the grace period for certain violations and encourages noncompliant owners to improve their properties and responsible property owners to buy noncompliant properties and make them lead safe, thereby assuring healthy, affordable housing.
House Bill 254 - Disclosure of Information : Allows the Department of Human Resources to disclose limited information regarding child abuse and neglect cases to medical or human services personnel of a hospital or birthing center when personnel are making discharge decisions concerning a child and have concerns about a child's safety after discharge.
HB 627 - Community Health Care Access and Safety Net Act of 2005 (Delegate Hurson): Establishes the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission to increase access to health care for lower-income individuals and provide resources to community health centers around the State. Provides $6 million in operating grants, funding for capital grants as in the budget, and $15 million for the Maryland Health Insurance Plan eligibility system.
SB 282/HB 324 Maryland Pharmacy Programs - Modifications and Subsidies for Medicare Drug Benefits (Senator Middleton, Delegate Hammen): Changes the Senior Prescription Drug Program and the Maryland Pharmacy Assistance Program so that Medicare Part D beneficiaries with household incomes at or below 300 percent of the federal poverty level are eligible for State subsidies for their cost-sharing requirements under Medicare. The bill includes $14.5 million in general funds for the program
SB 1014 Health Insurance - Small Group Market - Self-Employed Individuals (Senator Middleton): Makes small group health insurance more affordable for business owners and their employees by specifying that a self-employed individual or sole proprietor is not eligible for health insurance in the small group market, but instead is eligible for enrollment in MHIP.
A complete list of bills signed into law today can be found at www.gov.state.md.us/billsignings/2005/051005.html.
http://www.governor.maryland.gov/pressreleases/2005/051005_bills.html