Maryland Department of Health - Study on Maryland Medical Assistance Program Reimbursement of Hospice Room and Board Services, the official text

HOUSE BILL 1151

    J1, J3                                               (6lr2923)

                                ENROLLED BILL
                               — Health/Finance —

    Introduced by Delegates Hutchinson, Adams, and Hartman Hartman, Alston,
             Bagnall, Cullison, Guzzone, Hill, S. Johnson, Kaufman, Kipke, Lopez,
             Martinez, Rosenberg, Ross, Taveras, White Holland, and Woorman

                     Read and Examined by Proofreaders:

                               _______________________________________________
                                                                                    Proofreader.

                               _______________________________________________
                                                                                    Proofreader.

    Sealed with the Great Seal and presented to the Governor, for his approval this

    _______ day of _______________ at ________________________ o’clock, ________M.

                               ______________________________________________
                                                                                        Speaker.

                               CHAPTER ______

1 AN ACT concerning

2   Maryland Department of Health – Study on Maryland Medical Assistance

3           Program Reimbursement of Hospice Room and Board Services

4 FOR the purpose of requiring the Division of Health Care Financing and Medicaid within

5         the Maryland Department of Health Maryland Health Care Commission and the

6         Maryland Medical Assistance Program jointly to study the impact of requiring the

7         Maryland Medical Assistance Program to provide reimbursement for room and board

8         services provided by a hospice house; and generally relating to a study of

9         reimbursement for hospice room and board services under the Maryland Medical

10        Assistance Program.

11        SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND,

12 That:

    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.
           Italics indicate opposite chamber/conference committee amendments.

                                   *hb1151*
    2               HOUSE BILL 1151

1       (a) The Division of Health Care Financing and Medicaid within the Maryland

2 Department of Health Maryland Health Care Commission and the Maryland Medical

3 Assistance Program jointly shall study the impact of requiring the Maryland Medical

4 Assistance Program to provide reimbursement for room and board services provided by a

5 hospice house, as defined in COMAR 10.07.22.02.

6       (b) The study required under subsection (a) of this section shall:

7       (1) quantify analyze overall Maryland Medical Assistance Program

8 savings per enrollee death as a result of the use of hospice care; and associated with hospice

9 care utilization during the last 6 months of life compared with costs associated with other

10 services provided to Program enrollees during the last 6 months of life, including the impact

11 on:

12                  (i) avoided inpatient hospital stays;

13                  (ii) emergency department utilization; and

14                  (iii) intensive treatments near the end of life;

15      (2) analyze the projected fiscal impact of the provision of reimbursement

16 for hospice house room and board services, including any potential offsets or net savings;

17      (3) examine how the provision of reimbursement for room and board

18 services would:

19                  (i) affect hospice hospital readmission rates;

20                  (ii) improve hospice length of stay;

21                  (iii) improve early access to hospice services;

22                  (iv) result in a reduction in deaths in hospitals; and

23                  (iv) (v) result in a reduction in emergency department utilization; and

24      (4) include a comparison of other states that provide reimbursement for

25 hospice house room and board service, including a comparison of:

26                  (i) payment models;

27                  (ii) utilization outcomes; and

28                  (iii) cost impacts.
            HOUSE BILL 1151                                                                                       3

1  (c) On or before September 30 December 1, 2026, the Maryland Department of

2 Health shall report its findings to the Senate Finance Committee and the House Health

3 Committee, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article.

4  SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July

5 1, 2026.

   Approved:

   ________________________________________________________________________________
                                                                                                       Governor.

   ________________________________________________________________________________
                                                                    Speaker of the House of Delegates.

   ________________________________________________________________________________
                                                                                   President of the Senate.