Maryland is the first state to sign on to the new health care program – WTOP News

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) – Maryland became the first state on Friday to join a federal program designed to improve health care quality and equity while reducing costs for all health care providers, including Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers.

It builds on Maryland’s “Total Care Cost Cap,” which sets a cap on the total cost of Medicare care in Maryland and includes the state’s exclusive system of all-payer hospitals, which reduce hospital costs and support improved health outcomes, as recommended. on the Affordable Care Act.

This new federal plan, known as the AHEAD model, is designed to provide high-quality health care through greater collaboration, focusing on health equity and community needs to support patients who are underserved. noticeable.

“The AHEAD model is the next chapter in health care, so we are proud to write that new chapter right here in the state of Maryland,” said Gov. Wes Moore, the Democrat who signed the agreement with the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid. Director of Services Chiquita Brooks-LaSure.

Since the 1970s, Maryland has had a single-payer hospital system that enables the state to set its own rates for hospital services, and all payers must charge for the same services at a particular hospital.

It is designed to provide equal access to care, eliminate the need for charity hospitals and ensure that patients are treated equally regardless of insurance status. State law allows for this system, which is cost-based based on fees set by hospitals. It continues to be the foundation of every subsequent reform of Maryland’s health care model.

“Maryland has this unique system that we’ve been developing for decades now,” Sen. Chris Van Hollen, Democrat, told reporters after a press conference in Annapolis. “We’re taking it to the next level by signing this AHEAD agreement, and the bottom line is that it helps us achieve three priorities: equity, quality, affordability. That’s the goal.”

The Maryland Department of Health will now begin planning to implement the AHEAD system beginning Jan. 1, 2025. That will include creating targets for cost growth, quality improvement and equity, population health, and primary care investments as well as identifying regional partnerships to drive. BEFORE the goals.

Sen. Ben Cardin said the agreement maintains the government’s policy that health care providers receive equal pay for services, so hospitals have incentives to provide equal care, whether you have private insurance, insurance government, or you don’t have insurance.

Second, we’re now committed to making sure we have the highest quality care,” said Cardin, a Democrat. “So, we’re investing in primary care. We’re investing in early detection, prevention, so that so we can keep you healthy, so you don’t have to spend a lot of time on health care needs.”

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has selected five other states—Vermont, Connecticut, Hawaii, Rhode Island, and the New York states—to participate in the AHEAD Model.

“Maryland’s participation in the AHEAD Model is an important step in improving the health of its citizens, supporting primary care, transforming public health care across the state, and addressing inequities in the system of health care,” Brooks-LaSure said.

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