HB1126 • 2026

Health Insurance and Managed Care Organizations - Laboratory Services - Contract Providers

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Delegate Qi
Last action: 2026-03-19
Official status: In the House - Hearing 3/19 at 2:30 p.m.
Effective date: 2026-10-01

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Health Insurance and Managed Care Organizations - Laboratory Services - Contract Providers

Prohibiting certain carriers and managed care organizations from prohibiting an enrollee from selecting, or limiting the ability of an enrollee to select, a laboratory; prohibiting certain carriers and managed care organizations from denying a laboratory the right to participate in the health benefit plan if the laboratory agrees to comply with certain terms; and prohibiting certain carriers and managed care organizations from imposing additional copayments, fees, or conditions for laboratory services provided to an enrollee.

What This Bill Does

Prohibiting certain carriers and managed care organizations from prohibiting an enrollee from selecting, or limiting the ability of an enrollee to select, a laboratory; prohibiting certain carriers and managed care organizations from denying a laboratory the right to participate in the health benefit plan if the laboratory agrees to comply with certain terms; and prohibiting certain carriers and managed care organizations from imposing additional copayments, fees, or conditions for laboratory services provided to an enrollee.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-03-19 House
Hearing canceled
2026-03-19 House
Hearing 3/19 at 2:30 p.m.
2026-02-16 House
Hearing canceled
2026-02-16 House
Hearing 3/19 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-02-13 House
Hearing 3/12 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-02-11 House
First Reading Health
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - Health Insurance and Managed Care Organizations - Laboratory Services - Contract Providers

Official Summary Text

Prohibiting certain carriers and managed care organizations from prohibiting an enrollee from selecting, or limiting the ability of an enrollee to select, a laboratory; prohibiting certain carriers and managed care organizations from denying a laboratory the right to participate in the health benefit plan if the laboratory agrees to comply with certain terms; and prohibiting certain carriers and managed care organizations from imposing additional copayments, fees, or conditions for laboratory services provided to an enrollee.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1126*

HOUSE BILL 1126
J5, J1 6lr2400

By: Delegate Qi
Introduced and read first time: February 11, 2026
Assigned to: Health

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Health Insurance and Managed Care Organizations – Laboratory Services – 2
Contract Providers 3

FOR the purpose of prohibiting certain carriers and managed care organizations from 4
prohibiting an enrollee from selecting, or limiting the ability of an enrollee to select, 5
a laboratory; prohibiting certain carriers and managed care organizations from 6
denying a laboratory the right to participate in the health benefit plan if the 7
laboratory agrees to comply with certain terms; prohibiting certain carriers and 8
managed care organizations from imposing additional copayments, fees, or 9
conditions for laboratory services provided to an enrollee; and generally relating to 10
health insurance, managed care organizations, and laboratory services. 11

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 12
Article – Health – General 13
Section 15–102.3(a) 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 16

BY adding to 17
Article – Insurance 18
Section 15–112(y) 19
Annotated Code of Maryland 20
(2017 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 21

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 22
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 23

Article – Health – General 24

15–102.3. 25

2 HOUSE BILL 1126

(a) The provisions of § 15 –112(b)(1)(ii) and (2), (f) through (m), ( r), (s), [and] (u) 1
through (w), AND (Y) of the Insurance Article (Provider panels) shall apply to managed 2
care organizations in the same manner they apply to carriers. 3

Article – Insurance 4

15–112. 5

(Y) A CARRIER THAT PROVIDES COVERA GE FOR LABORATORY SE RVICES 6
UNDER HEALTH BENEFIT PLANS THAT ARE ISSUE D OR DELIVERED IN TH E STATE 7
MAY NOT: 8

(1) PROHIBIT AN ENROLLEE FROM SELECTING, OR LIMIT THE ABILITY 9
OF AN ENROLLEE TO SELECT, A LABORATORY OF THE ENROLLEE’S CHOICE FOR THE 10
RECEIPT OF LABORATOR Y SERVICES IF THE LA BORATORY PARTICIPATE S AS A 11
CONTRACT PROVIDER IN THE HEALTH BENEFIT PLAN OFFERED BY THE CARRIER; 12

(2) DENY A LABORATORY THE RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE AS A CONTRACT 13
PROVIDER UNDER A HEALTH BENEFIT PLAN IF THE LABORATORY AGREES TO: 14

(I) PROVIDE LABORATORY S ERVICES IN A MANNER THAT 15
MEETS THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS UNDER THE HEALTH BENEFIT PLAN; AND 16

(II) THE TERMS OF REIMBUR SEMENT ESTABLISHED B Y THE 17
CARRIER UNDER THE HEALTH BENEFIT PLAN; OR 18

(3) FOR LABORATORY SERVICES PROVIDED TO AN ENROLLEE UNDER 19
A HEALTH BENEFIT PLA N THAT ARE RECEIVED FROM A CONTRACT PROV IDER, 20
IMPOSE ON THE ENROLL EE A COPAYMENT , FEE, OR CONDITION NOT IMP OSED ON 21
ALL OTHER ENROLLEES FOR THE SAME LABORATORY UNDER THE HEALTH BENEFIT 22
PLAN. 23

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 24
October 1, 2026. 25