SB0839 • 2026

Medical Assistance Programs - Drug Dispensing - Cost-of-Dispensing Survey

Healthcare

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Senator Ready
Last action: 2026-05-26
Official status: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 708
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.

Medical Assistance Programs - Drug Dispensing - Cost-of-Dispensing Survey

Requiring, beginning in 2026, the Maryland Department of Health to conduct the in-State cost-of-dispensing survey at least every 3 years; and requiring by December 1 each year in which the survey is required, the Department to report the survey results to the General Assembly.

What This Bill Does

Requiring, beginning in 2026, the Maryland Department of Health to conduct the in-State cost-of-dispensing survey at least every 3 years; and requiring by December 1 each year in which the survey is required, the Department to report the survey results to the General Assembly.

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.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

373922/1

None

Favorable with Amendments { 373922/1 Adopted

Plain English: AMENDMENTS TO SENATE BILL 839 (First Reading File Bill) AMENDMENT NO.

AMENDMENTS TO SENATE BILL 839 (First Reading File Bill) AMENDMENT NO.
1 On page 1, strike line 3 in its entirety; strike beginning with “requiring” in line 5 down through “survey;” in line 8 and substitute “requiring the Department to report the results of the survey to the General Assembly;”; strike beginning with the second “and” in line 8 down through “fees” in line 9; and in line 13, strike “and 15–118.2”.
AMENDMENT NO.
2 On page 1, in line 20, before “BEGINNING” insert “(A)”; and after line 21, insert: “(B) ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 1 EACH YEAR IN WHICH THE SURVEY REQUIRED UNDER THIS SECTION IS CONDUCTED , THE DEPARTMENT SHALL REPORT THE RESULTS O F THE SURVEY TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE.”.

Bill History

2026-05-26 Post Passage
Approved by the Governor - Chapter 708
2026-04-03 House
Favorable Report by Health
2026-03-25 House
Hearing 4/02 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-03-23 Senate
Favorable with Amendments Report by Finance
2026-03-20 House
Third Reading Passed (137-0)
2026-03-19 Senate
Returned Passed
2026-03-18 House
Favorable Adopted Second Reading Passed
2026-03-11 House
Referred Health
2026-03-07 Senate
Third Reading Passed (42-0)
2026-03-06 Senate
Favorable with Amendments { 373922/1 Adopted
2026-03-06 Senate
Second Reading Passed with Amendments
2026-02-12 Senate
Hearing 3/10 at 1:00 p.m.
2026-02-06 Senate
First Reading Finance
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - Medical Assistance Programs - Drug Dispensing - Cost-of-Dispensing Survey and Fee-for-Service Professional Dispensing Fee
Maryland General Assembly
Vote - Senate - Committee - Finance
Maryland General Assembly
Text - Third - Medical Assistance Programs - Drug Dispensing - Cost-of-Dispensing Survey
Maryland General Assembly
Vote - House - Committee - Health

Official Summary Text

Requiring, beginning in 2026, the Maryland Department of Health to conduct the in-State cost-of-dispensing survey at least every 3 years; and requiring by December 1 each year in which the survey is required, the Department to report the survey results to the General Assembly.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*sb0839*

SENATE BILL 839
J3 6lr3360
CF HB 1470
By: Senator Ready
Introduced and read first time: February 6, 2026
Assigned to: Finance
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: March 6, 2026

CHAPTER ______

AN ACT concerning 1

Medical Assistance Programs – Drug Dispensing – Cost–of–Dispensing Survey 2
and Fee–for–Service Professional Dispensing Fee 3

FOR the purpose of requiring the Maryland Department of Health to conduct the in–State 4
cost–of–dispensing survey at a certain frequency; requiring the Department to adopt 5
regulations establishing a fee –for–service professional dispensing fee based on the 6
results of the survey within a certain period of time after the completion of the 7
survey; requiring the Department to report the results of the survey to the General 8
Assembly; and generally relating to the in –State cost –of–dispensing survey and 9
fee–for–service professional dispensing fees under the Maryland Medical Assistance 10
Program. 11

BY adding to 12
Article – Health – General 13
Section 15–107.1 and 15–118.2 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

15–107.1. 20

2 SENATE BILL 839

(A) BEGINNING IN 2026, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL COND UCT THE 1
IN–STATE COST–OF–DISPENSING SURVEY AT LEAST ONCE EVERY 3 YEARS. 2

(B) ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 1 EACH YEAR IN WHICH T HE SURVEY 3
REQUIRED UNDER THIS SECTION IS CONDUCTED, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL REPORT 4
THE RESULTS OF THE SURVEY TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, IN ACCORDANCE WITH 5
§ 2–1257 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE. 6

15–118.2. 7

WITHIN 6 MONTHS AFTER THE COM PLETION OF THE IN –STATE 8
COST–OF–DISPENSING SURVEY , THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ADOP T REGULATIONS 9
ESTABLISHING A FEE –FOR–SERVICE PROFESSIONAL DISPENSING FEE BASED ON 10
THE RESULTS OF THE SURVEY. 11

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, T hat this Act shall take effect 12
October 1, 2026. 13

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