Maryland Health Benefit Exchange

The committee held a meeting to conduct introductions, facilitate a co-chair nomination and vote, and receive an executive update. Key discussion topics included the finalization of the federal notice of benefit and payment parameters, as well as the implementation of Medicaid eligibility changes mandated by recent federal legislation.

The meeting addressed several critical topics, including a consumer complaint regarding termination of insurance coverage by a carrier, with discussions on improving system reconciliations to prevent future issues. Reports from the Policy Committee covered strategic plan updates, fiscal year 2027 grant methodologies, and legislative updates. The Finance and Audit Committee discussed fiscal year-to-date results and budget deficits driven by call center and software costs. Executive updates included federal and state legislative session highlights, staffing changes, and marketplace network meetings. Detailed presentations were held regarding 2027 state subsidy and reinsurance parameters, final plan certification standards, a proposed application fee for out-of-state brokers, and various procurement actions for fulfillment services, language translation services, call center operations, IT consulting, and hardware. The board concluded with a move to a closed session regarding personnel and legal matters.

The board meeting focused on several IT software procurements and renewals. Key topics included the contract award to Infoshare Systems, Inc. for the renewal of the Akamai software license, the renewal of maintenance and support for the Corticon Business Rules Engine with Simplified Acquisitions Solutions, LLC, and the renewal of the MongoDB enterprise license subscription with Arif International Corporation dba Numeriksoft. Additionally, the board reviewed and approved an increase to the not-to-exceed amount for the Salesforce contract with Carahsoft Technology Corp. to procure additional licenses, including CRM analytics, data cloud, and marketing cloud services to support federal compliance requirements.

The board meeting agenda included reports from the Policy Committee and an update from the Executive Director. Discussions focused on the Connector Entity Program and a series of IT software procurements, including Akamai Software, Corticon Maintenance, MongoDB Enterprise, and Salesforce licenses. The session also covered updates regarding H.R.1 and the Office of Health Care Financing.

The board discussed the executive director's update regarding recent CMS benefit parameters, the H.R.1 implementation, a past file transfer issue, the status of the RFA for the Connector Entity grant program, and ongoing agency recruitments. Additionally, the board approved appointments for the 2026 Standing Advisory Committee, reviewed the 2026 IT roadmap focusing on cybersecurity and innovation, approved a five-year contract for AWS services through A & T Systems, Inc., authorized an increase to the FY 2026 IT IDIQ budget for H.R.1 implementation, and reviewed the draft strategic plan for FY 2026-2028.