health care expansion: closing the gap of health disparities peter a. hammen house of delegates,...
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Health Care Expansion: Closing Health Care Expansion: Closing the Gap of Health Disparitiesthe Gap of Health Disparities
Peter A. HammenPeter A. HammenHouse of Delegates, District 46House of Delegates, District 46
Maryland General AssemblyMaryland General AssemblyChairman, Health and Government Chairman, Health and Government
Operations CommitteeOperations Committee
7th National Conference on Quality Health Care for Culturally Diverse Populations
Baltimore, MarylandOctober 21, 2010
Recent Successes
• SB 6 (2007 Special Session)– Expanded Medicaid to 116% of the Federal
Poverty Level for parents– Phase in of the expansion of Medicaid to childless
adults has been delayed due to budget constraints– As of today, over 150,000 people have health
insurance as a result of this expansion
Recent Successes
• HB 739 (2009)– Added substance abuse benefits to the Primary
Adult Care Program, a program that provides primary care, prescription drugs, and specialty mental health treatment to childless adults under 116% of the Federal Poverty Level
– Existing resources already in the system were redirected to fund this expansion
– Over 40,000 people now have access to substance abuse treatment
Moving Forward
• Health Reform at the National Level– Expands Medicaid to 133% of the Federal Poverty
Level– No longer allowed to exclude for pre-existing
conditions– Health insurance tax credits for the uninsured and
assistance for small businesses
Implementation in Maryland
• Health Reform Coordinating Council– Appointed to represent the House of Delegates– Tasked with implementing the federal legislation
in Maryland• Special needs and safety net populations– As part of this effort, I have asked for a report on
the various safety net programs available, how they overlap, and where there are gaps
– The intention is to ensure that gaps are closed and access to quality care is provided to all
Contact Information
Delegate Peter A. HammenMaryland General Assembly6 Bladen Street, Room 241Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 841-3772(410) [email protected]