Patricia Dorn

The workgroup meeting focused on selecting a chair, establishing the work plan and timeline for reporting, and receiving presentations from the Maryland Insurance Administration regarding the appeals and grievance process for adverse decisions, as well as an analysis of denials data from the Maryland Hospital Association.

The hearing focused on public review of long-term care insurance rate increase requests. Specifically, American General Life Insurance Company proposed a 25% rate increase for certain policy forms, citing unfavorable experience, higher than anticipated persistency, and increased claim frequency. Transame Life Insurance Company proposed a 201.9% rate increase, citing similar factors including increased claim costs and longer claim durations. Both insurers presented options for policyholders to mitigate the impact of premium increases, such as reducing benefit levels, modifying elimination periods, or selecting other coverage adjustments.

The meeting focused on updates regarding the initiative to incorporate insurance education within K-12, community colleges, and universities. Key discussions included the progress in Harford County, which introduced an insurance pathway with over 200 students and provided one-day exposure opportunities at insurance companies. Updates were provided on collaboration with Loyola University to introduce a risk management and insurance program starting in September 2026. Work in Baltimore County and City to advance youth apprenticeship programs was mentioned. Progress at the community college level, including an introductory course at CCBC and an Associate of Arts degree in risk management and insurance at Warwick Community College, was reviewed. The discussion emphasized the need to introduce students to the insurance industry early to encourage enrollment in two-year or four-year programs. The committee also discussed opportunities for internships and apprenticeships, noting that February is the 11th annual Insurance Career Month, with plans to share relevant promotional materials soon. The presentation by Dr. Austin Hill highlighted Career Connected Learning (CCL) options in Baltimore City Schools, focusing on internships, apprenticeships (including the Apprenticeship Maryland program requiring 450 work hours), and Industry Recognized Credentials (IRCs), noting that property and casualty credentials were recently submitted for approval. The goal aligns with the Blueprint for Maryland's Future, aiming for 45% of graduating seniors to complete a youth apprenticeship or receive an IRC by 2030.

The sixth public meeting of the Network Advocacy Work Group convened to consider revisions to the 2017 regulations establishing carrier network efficiency standards. Discussions focused on Regulation 05, specifically revisions to travel distance standards. Key clarifications included the requirement for carriers to analyze how public transportation usage impacts travel distance analysis and the goal of gathering data on how carriers address these access issues without establishing a new standard. The definition for outpatient infusion chemotherapy metric was broadened to include any authorized setting or provider. Stakeholders presented comments, highlighting the need for greater granularity for substance use disorder (SUD) providers and strongly supporting the requirement for a specific 30 percent Essential Community Provider (ECP) inclusion standard for SUD providers to ensure fair contract negotiations. One presenter detailed severe under-reimbursement issues from a commercial carrier for essential substance use disorder services, including assessments, Suboxone treatment, counseling, and follow-up evaluations, urging support for the proposed ECP standards. The group deferred in-depth discussion on telehealth until the next meeting, which will heavily feature Senate Bill 3.

The seventh public meeting of the work group was convened to consider revisions to the MIA's 2017 regulations regarding network adequacy standards and reporting requirements. The primary focus of the meeting was the treatment of telehealth access in the context of network adequacy compliance, in light of Senate Bill 3, the Preserved Telehealth Access Act of 2021. Presentations were given by carriers and healthcare providers regarding telehealth utilization trends, patient and provider feedback on the telehealth experience, and barriers to access. The discussion covered synchronous (video) and asynchronous (store and forward) telehealth, remote patient monitoring, and patient satisfaction data comparing telephone, video, and in-person visits.