Maryland Department of Health - Study on Maryland Medical Assistance Program Reimbursement of Hospice Room and Board Services

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*hb1151*

HOUSE BILL 1151
J1, J3 (6lr2923)
ENROLLED BILL
— Health/Finance —
Introduced by Delegates Hutchinson, Adams, and Hartman Hartman, Alston,
Bagnall, Cullison, Guzzone, Hill, S. Johnson, Kaufman, Kipke, Lopez,
Martinez, Rosenberg, Ross, Taveras, White Holland, and Woorman

Read and Examined by Proofreaders:

_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.

Sealed with the Great Seal and presented to the Governor, for his approval this

_______ day of _______________ at ________________________ o’clock, ________M.

______________________________________________
Speaker.

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Maryland Department of Health – Study on Maryland Medical Assistance 2
Program Reimbursement of Hospice Room and Board Services 3

FOR the purpose of requiring the Division of Health Care Financing and Medicaid within 4
the Maryland Department of Health Maryland Health Care Commission and the 5
Maryland Medical Assistance Program jointly to study the impact of requiring the 6
Maryland Medical Assistance Program to provide reimbursement for room and board 7
services provided by a ho spice house; and generally relating to a study of 8
reimbursement for hospice room and board services under the Maryland Medical 9
Assistance Program. 10

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 11
That: 12
2 HOUSE BILL 1151

(a) The Division of Health Care Fi nancing and Medicaid within the Maryland 1
Department of Health Maryland Health Care Commission and the Maryland Medical 2
Assistance Program jointly shall study the impact of requiring the Maryland Medical 3
Assistance Program to provide reimbursement for room and board services provided by a 4
hospice house, as defined in COMAR 10.07.22.02. 5

(b) The study required under subsection (a) of this section shall: 6

(1) quantify analyze overall Maryland Medical Assistance Program 7
savings per enrollee death as a result of the use of hospice care; and associated with hospice 8
care utilization during the last 6 months of life compared with costs associated with other 9
services provided to Program enrollees during the last 6 months of life, including the impact 10
on: 11

(i) avoided inpatient hospital stays; 12

(ii) emergency department utilization; and 13

(iii) intensive treatments near the end of life; 14

(2) analyze the projected fiscal impact of the provision of reimbursement 15
for hospice house room and board services, including any potential offsets or net savings; 16

(3) examine how the provision of reimbursement for room and board 17
services would: 18

(i) affect hospice hospital readmission rates; 19

(ii) improve hospice length of stay; 20

(iii) improve early access to hospice services; 21

(iv) result in a reduction in deaths in hospitals; and 22

(iv) (v) result in a reduction in emergency department utilization; and 23

(4) include a comparison of other states that provide reimbursement for 24
hospice house room and board service, including a comparison of: 25

(i) payment models; 26

(ii) utilization outcomes; and 27

(iii) cost impacts. 28

HOUSE BILL 1151 3

(c) On or befo re September 30 December 1, 2026, the Maryland Department of 1
Health shall report its findings to the Senate Finance Committee and the House Health 2
Committee, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article. 3

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 4
1, 2026. 5

Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.