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Maryland May Become Second State to Make Health Insurance Mandatory
All Maryland residents would be required to purchase health insurance under a draft plan outlined by the Maryland Health Care Commission. If enacted, the plan would make Maryland the second state after Massachusetts to require residents to obtain health insurance. The Residents could choose among different plans offered by insurers. Workers would keep the same coverage when switching employment. Employers would pay the majority of the costs, and each employer would be responsible for determining their contribution amount. The state would provide subsidies for low-income workers, according to the draft plan. The plan would not apply to large employers, though the size requirement has not been determined. Other details yet to be worked out -- the cost of subsidies, eligibility requirements and the penalties for those who do not purchase insurance.
The plan would not impose an employer mandate, but individual responsibility would put greater pressure on employers to contribute to health insurance coverage, according to commission Executive Director Rex Cowdry. Commission Chair Stephen Salamon said the draft plan is "a work in progress," but commission officials hope consultant studies and economic models will provide more details for the commission to propose a plan to the state Legislature in January 2007. Meanwhile, the Maryland Citizens' Health Initiative and MedChi, the state medical society, are promoting a plan that would increase cigarette taxes by one dollar per pack to generate an estimated $200 million annually. Those funds would be used to expand Medicaid coverage to more low-income adults and to subsidize small businesses that cannot afford coverage
(Salganik, Baltimore Sun, 11/17).
Posted by Phil Daigle on November 24, 2006 1:53 PM
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