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EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb1375*
HOUSE BILL 1375
J5 6lr1665
HB 1268/25 – HGO CF 6lr3651
By: Delegates Howard, Adams, Anderson, Arentz, Baker, Beauchamp, Buckel,
Ciliberti, Fair, Hornberger, Hutchinson, Jacobs, McComas, Miller,
T. Morgan, Reilly, Rose, and Wivell
Introduced and read first time: February 13, 2026
Assigned to: Health
A BILL ENTITLED
AN ACT concerning 1
Health Insurance – Lyme Disease and Related Tick–Borne Illnesses – 2
Long–Term Antibiotic Treatment 3
FOR the purpose of requiring certain insurers, nonprofit health service plans, and health 4
maintenance organizations to provide certain coverage for the full length of 5
long–term antibiotic treatment of Lyme disease and rel ated tick –borne illnesses 6
under certain circumstances; prohibiting certain insurers, nonprofit health service 7
plans, and health maintenance organizations from placing a quantitative limit on or 8
denying coverage for benefits required under this Act; and gen erally relating to 9
health insurance coverage for long–term antibiotic treatment for Lyme disease and 10
related tick–borne illnesses. 11
BY adding to 12
Article – Insurance 13
Section 15–864 14
Annotated Code of Maryland 15
(2017 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 – Insurance 19
15–864. 20
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 21
INDICATED. 22
2 HOUSE BILL 1375
(2) “CLINICAL DIAGNOSIS” MEANS THE OBSERVATION BY A LICENSED 1
PHYSICIAN OF SIGNS A ND SYMPTOMS COMPATIB LE WITH ACUTE , PERSISTENT, OR 2
CHRONIC INFECTION OR OTHER CHRONIC MANIFESTATIONS OF LYME DISEASE. 3
(3) (I) “LONG–TERM ANTIBIOTIC TREA TMENT” MEANS THE 4
ADMINISTRATION OF OR AL, INTRAMUSCULAR, OR INTRAVENOUS ANTIB IOTIC 5
MEDICATIONS FOR LONGER THAN 4 WEEKS. 6
(II) “LONG–TERM ANTIBIOTIC TREA TMENT” INCLUDES 7
SEPARATE AND COMBINATION ADMINISTRATIONS OF ANTIBIOTIC MEDICATIONS. 8
(4) “LYME DISEASE” INCLUDES ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING: 9
(I) THE CLINICAL DIAGNOS IS OF A PATIENT BY A LICENSED 10
PHYSICIAN OF THE PRESENCE OF SIGNS OR SYMPTOMS COMPATIBLE WITH AN ACUTE 11
INFECTION WITH BORRELIA BURGDORFERI; 12
(II) LATE–STAGE, PERSISTENT, OR CHRONIC INFECTION WITH 13
BORRELIA BURGDORFERI; 14
(III) COMPLICATIONS RELATE D TO AN INFECTION WI TH 15
BORRELIA BURGDORFERI; 16
(IV) AN INFECTION BY OTHE R STRAINS OF BORRELIA THAT 17
BECOME IDENTIFIED OR RECOGNIZED BY THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL 18
AND PREVENTION AS A CAUSE OF LYME DISEASE; 19
(V) AN INFECTION THAT MEETS THE SURVEILLANCE CRITERIA 20
FOR LYME DISEASE SET FORT H BY THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND 21
PREVENTION; AND 22
(VI) A CLINICAL DIAGNOSIS OF LYME DISEASE THAT DOE S NOT 23
MEET THE SURVEILLANC E CRITERIA SET FORTH BY THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE 24
CONTROL AND PREVENTION BUT PRESEN TS OTHER ACUTE , PERSISTENT, OR 25
CHRONIC SIGNS OR SYMPTOMS OF LYME DISEASE AS DETERMINED BY A LICENSED 26
PHYSICIAN, WHETHER THAT DIAGNOSIS IS BASED ONLY ON KNOWLEDGE OBTAINED 27
THROUGH MEDICAL HIST ORY AND PHYSICAL EXA MINATION OR IN CONJU NCTION 28
WITH TESTING THAT PROVIDES SUPPORTIVE DATA OF THE DIAGNOSIS. 29
(5) “RELATED TICK –BORNE ILLNESS ” MEANS BARTONELLOSIS , 30
BABESIOSIS, EHRLICHIOSIS, ANAPLASMOSIS, PIROPLASMOSIS, OR ANY OTHER 31
TICK–BORNE ILLNESS THAT MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH LYME DISEASE. 32
HOUSE BILL 1375 3
(6) “THERAPEUTIC PURPOSE” MEANS THE USE OF ANT IBIOTICS TO 1
CONTROL THE SYMPTOMS OF LYME DISEASE AND OTHE R RELATED 2
TICK–BORNE ILLNESSES. 3
(B) THIS SECTION APPLIES TO: 4
(1) INSURERS AND NONPROF IT HEALTH SERVICE PL ANS THAT 5
PROVIDE HOSPITAL , MEDICAL, SURGICAL, OR PHARMACEUTICAL BE NEFITS TO 6
INDIVIDUALS OR GROUP S ON AN EXPENSE –INCURRED BASIS UNDER A HEALTH 7
INSURANCE POLICY OR CONTRACT ISSUED OR DELIVERED IN THE STATE; AND 8
(2) HEALTH MAINTENANCE O RGANIZATIONS THAT PR OVIDE 9
HOSPITAL, MEDICAL, SURGICAL, OR PHARMACEUTICAL BENEFITS TO INDIVIDUALS 10
OR GROUPS UNDER CONTRACTS THAT ARE ISSUED OR DELIVERED IN THE STATE. 11
(C) IF THE LONG –TERM ANTIBIOTIC TREA TMENT OF LYME DISEASE AND 12
RELATED TICK–BORNE ILLNESSES HAS BEEN ORDERED BY A LI CENSED TREATING 13
PHYSICIAN FOR THERAPEUTIC PURPOSES, AN ENTITY SUBJECT TO THIS SECTION: 14
(1) SHALL PROVIDE COVERA GE FOR THE FULL LENG TH OF THE 15
LONG–TERM ANTIBIOTIC TREA TMENT TO BE ADMINIST ERED IN THE MANNER 16
PRESCRIBED BY THE LICENSED TREATING PHYSICIAN; AND 17
(2) MAY NOT IMPOSE A QUA NTITATIVE LIMITATION ON TH E 18
LONG–TERM ANTIBIOTIC TREATMENT. 19
(D) AN ENTITY SUBJECT TO THIS SECTION MAY NOT DENY COVERAGE FOR 20
TREATMENT OTHERWISE ELIGIBLE FOR BENEFIT S UNDER THIS SECTION SOLELY 21
BECAUSE THE TREATMENT MAY BE CATEGORIZED AS UNPROVEN, EXPERIMENTAL, 22
OR INVESTIGATIONAL IN NATURE. 23
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall apply to all 24
policies, contracts, and health benefit plans issued, delivered, or renewed in the State on or 25
after January 1, 2027. 26
SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 27
January 1, 2027. 28