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*hb1112*
HOUSE BILL 1112
J5 6lr2733
By: Delegate Cullison Delegates Cullison, Alston, Bagnall, Guzzone, Hill,
S. Johnson, Kaufman, Lopez, Martinez, Rosenberg, Ross, Taveras,
White Holland, and Woorman
Introduced and read first time: February 11, 2026
Assigned to: Health
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 3, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Health Insurance Coverage Protection Commission – Study on Individual and 2
Group Health Insurance Market Stability 3
FOR the purpose of altering the duties of the Health Insurance Coverage Protection 4
Commission to require the Commission to study and make r ecommendations 5
regarding individual and group health insurance market stability; and generally 6
relating to the Health Insurance Coverage Protection Commission. 7
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 8
Chapter 696 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2025 9
Section 1(b) 10
BY adding to 11
Chapter 696 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2025 12
Section 1(g)(3) 13
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 14
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 15
Chapter 696 of the Acts of 2025 16
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 17
That: 18
2 HOUSE BILL 1112
(b) There is a Maryland Health Insurance Coverage Protection Commission. 1
(g) (3) THE COMMISSION SHALL STUDY AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS 2
FOR INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP HEALTH INSURANCE MARKET STABILITY, INCLUDING 3
BY: 4
(I) HAVING AN ACTUARIAL ANALYSIS CONDUCTED T HAT 5
COMPARES MEDICAID AND COMMERCIAL RATES TO ESTIMATE REALISTIC PREMIUM 6
SAVINGS IF A PUBLIC OPTION WERE TO BE CONSIDERED CONSIDERING WHETHER TO 7
ADOPT A DIRECT PAYME NT SYSTEM OR FEE –FOR–SERVICE MODEL FOR AL L 8
SERVICES COVERED BY THE MARYLAND MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM; 9
(II) EXPLORING REGULATORY EXEMPTIONS TO ALLOW 10
MANAGED CARE ORGANIZ ATIONS TO SELL IN TH E INDIVIDUAL MARKET WITHOUT 11
MEETING FULL INSURER CAPITAL REQUIREMENTS; 12
(III) EXPLORING MERGING THE INDIVIDUAL AND SMALL GROUP 13
MARKETS TO STABILIZE RISK AND EXPAND THE BASE, INCLUDING WHETHER TH IS 14
COULD BE DONE WITH E XISTING RESOURCES AND WHETHER LEGISLATION WOULD 15
BE NEEDED; 16
(IV) EXPLORING POOLING PU RCHASING POWER ACROS S 17
STATES, INCLUDING WHETHER THIS COULD BE ALLOWED BY INTERSTATE COMPACT 18
AND PROVIDE A BASIS FOR COLLABORATION OF INTERESTED STATES; 19
(V) CONSIDERING WAYS TO CONTROL PRESCRIPTION DRUG 20
COSTS, INCLUDING BY ESTABLI SHING A STATE PHARMACY BENEFI T 21
ADMINISTRATOR OR LEVERAGING STATE PURCHASING POWER; 22
(VI) IDENTIFYING WAYS TO SUSTAIN FEDERALLY QU ALIFIED 23
HEALTH CENTERS, INCLUDING BY CONSIDERING A STATE SAFETY–NET GRANT; 24
(VII) CONSIDERING WHETHER TO ESTABLISH A MULTI YEAR 25
REINSURANCE STABILITY FUND; 26
(VIII) CONSIDERING WHETHER TO REINSTATE THE MARYLAND 27
HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN; AND 28
(IX) CONSIDERING THE DECEMBER 2026 RECOMMENDATIONS 29
OF THE COMMISSION TO STUDY HEALTH INSURANCE POOLING AND WHETHER THE 30
POOLING OF STATE, COUNTY, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT PURCHASERS TO COMBINE 31
BUYING POWER WILL RESULT IN BETTER RATES AND QUALITY ALIGNMENT WITHIN 32
THE STATE; AND 33
HOUSE BILL 1112 3
(X) IDENTIFYING WAYS TO SUSTAIN AND INCREASE PREMIUM 1
ASSISTANCE IN THE INDIVIDUAL MARKET. 2
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 3
1, 2026. It shall remain effective until the taking effect of the termination provision 4
specified in Section 2 of Chapter 696 of the Acts of the General Assembly of 2025. If that 5
termination provision takes effect, this Act shall be abrogated a nd of no further force and 6
effect. This Act may not be interpreted to have any effect on that termination provision. 7
Approved:
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Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
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President of the Senate.