HB1291 • 2026

Public Health - Maryland Medical Assistance Program - Continuity of Care

Healthcare

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Delegates Roberts , Alston , Coley , Harrison , Holmes , Lopez , Pasteur , Ruth , Taylor , Turner , Williams , and Woods
Last action: 2026-02-13
Official status: In the House - Hearing 3/03 at 1:00 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.

Public Health - Maryland Medical Assistance Program - Continuity of Care

Requiring the Maryland Department of Health to adopt regulations to establish a procedure to provide for the temporary continuation of services and maintain the continuity of care for certain Maryland Medical Assistance Program recipients over the age of 65 facing a lapse in services due to an administrative or technical error; prohibiting the Department from altering appeal and hearing rights to accommodate the temporary continuation of services procedures; etc.

What This Bill Does

Requiring the Maryland Department of Health to adopt regulations to establish a procedure to provide for the temporary continuation of services and maintain the continuity of care for certain Maryland Medical Assistance Program recipients over the age of 65 facing a lapse in services due to an administrative or technical error; prohibiting the Department from altering appeal and hearing rights to accommodate the temporary continuation of services procedures; etc.

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

2026-02-13 House
Hearing 2/24 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-02-13 House
Hearing canceled
2026-02-13 House
Hearing 3/03 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-02-12 House
First Reading Health
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - Public Health - Maryland Medical Assistance Program - Continuity of Care

Official Summary Text

Requiring the Maryland Department of Health to adopt regulations to establish a procedure to provide for the temporary continuation of services and maintain the continuity of care for certain Maryland Medical Assistance Program recipients over the age of 65 facing a lapse in services due to an administrative or technical error; prohibiting the Department from altering appeal and hearing rights to accommodate the temporary continuation of services procedures; etc.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1291*

HOUSE BILL 1291
J1 6lr2898

By: Delegates Roberts, Alston, Coley, Harrison, Holmes, Lopez, Pasteur, Ruth,
Taylor, Turner, Williams, and Woods
Introduced and read first time: February 12, 2026
Assigned to: Health

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Public Health – Maryland Medical Assistance Program – Continuity of Care 2

FOR the purpose of requiring the Maryland Department of Health to adopt regulations to 3
establish a procedure to provide for the temporary continuation of services and 4
maintain the continuity of care for certain Maryland Medical Assistance Program 5
recipients facing a laps e in services due to an administrative or techni cal error ; 6
prohibiting the Department from altering certain appeal and hearing rights to 7
accommodate the temporary continuation of services procedures; prohibiting the 8
Department from billing certain individuals for services received during the 9
temporary continuation of services; and generally relating to continuity of care for 10
seniors receiving in–home services. 11

BY adding to 12
Article – Health – General 13
Section 15–160 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2023 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 16

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 17
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 18

Article – Health – General 19

15–160. 20

(A) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADOPT REGULATIONS ESTABLISHING A 21
PROCEDURE TO PROVIDE FOR THE TEMP ORARY CONTINUATION O F SERVICES TO 22
MAINTAIN THE CONTINUITY OF CARE OF A PROGRAM RECIPIENT: 23

2 HOUSE BILL 1291

(1) WHO: 1

(I) IS AT LEAST 65 YEARS OLD; 2

(II) HAS RECEIVED IN–HOME SERVICES UNDER A PROGRAM 3
ADMINISTERED BY THE DEPARTMENT WITHIN THE IMMEDIATELY PRECEDIN G 6 4
MONTHS; AND 5

(III) HAS EXPERIENCED OR IS ABOUT TO EXPERIENCE AN 6
INTERRUPTION OF SERVICES DUE TO AN ADMINISTRATIVE ERROR OR A TECHNICAL 7
ISSUE EXPERIENCED BY THE DEPARTMENT; AND 8

(2) ABOUT WHOM THE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN A LERTED OF THE 9
ADMINISTRATIVE ERROR OR TECHNICAL ISSUE B Y A CASE MANAGER OR CARE 10
PLANNER WHO HAS: 11

(I) A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PROGRAM RECIPIENT; AND 12

(II) FAMILIARITY WITH THE PROGRAM RECIPIENT’S HISTORY. 13

(B) TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE TEMPORARY CONTINUATI ON OF SERVICES 14
UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OF THIS SECTION, A PROGRAM RECIPIENT SHALL TAKE 15
STEPS TO RESOLVE THE ADMINISTRATIVE ERROR OR TECHNICAL ISSUE INCLUDING, 16
AS APPROPRIATE: 17

(1) FILING AN APPEAL; 18

(2) REQUESTING A HEARING; OR 19

(3) REAPPLYING FOR COVERAGE IN ACCORDANCE WIT H STATE AND 20
FEDERAL RULES AND REGULATIONS. 21

(C) (1) A TEMPORARY CONTINUATIO N OF SERVICES UNDER THIS 22
SECTION SHALL BEGIN ON THE FIRST DAY THA T A PROGRAM RECIPIENT FACES A 23
LOSS OF SERVICES AND CONTINUE FOR UP TO 52 CONSECUTIVE DAYS , OR 1,248 24
SERVICE HOURS, WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST. 25

(2) THE SERVICES PROVIDED UNDER A TEMPORARY CO NTINUATION 26
MAY BE ONLY THE SERVICES FOR W HICH THE PROGRAM RECIPIENT WAS 27
PREVIOUSLY APPROVED. 28

(D) THE PROCEDURES ESTABL ISHED BY THE DEPARTMENT UNDER THIS 29
SECTION MAY NOT: 30
HOUSE BILL 1291 3

(1) ALTER EXISTING APPEAL OR HEARING RIGHTS; OR 1

(2) AUTHORIZE THE DEPARTMENT TO BILL TH E PROGRAM 2
RECIPIENT FOR SERVICES PROVIDED DURING THE TEMPORARY CONTINUATION OF 3
SERVICES. 4

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 5
October 1, 2026. 6