Governor Martin O’Malley signed Senate Bill 234 officially known as the Maryland Health Improvement and Disparities Reduction Act of 2012 on April 10, 2012. MHHD, the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission (MCHRC) and the Department are working to implement the Act.
This historic legislation is the first of its kind and seeks to reduce health disparities among Maryland’s racial and ethnic groups and geographic areas, improve health care access and health outcomes in underserved communities, and reduce health care costs by establishing a Health Enterprise Zones (HEZ) pilot program.
The following are crucial legislated components that must not be overlooked as the Act is being implemented:
- Requires the Maryland Health Care Commission (MHCC) to establish a report card and incorporate measures regarding racial and ethnic variations in quality and outcomes;
- Hospitals community benefits report must track and reduce health disparities for community served;
- Higher institutions must report on actions taken to reduce health disparities;
- Health Services Cost Review Commission (HSCRC) and MHCC must study the feasibility of including racial and ethnic performance date in tracking hospitals performance;
- MHCC must develop recommendations for criteria and standards to measure the impact of Maryland Patient Centered Medical Homes on eliminating disparities in health outcomes; and
- Maryland Health Quality and Cost Review Council (MHQCC) must convene a workgroup to examine standards for cultural and linguistic competency.
