Hearing Aids for Adults - Insurers will be required to pay up to $1,400 per hearing aid for each ear every three years. If an insured patient wants a more expensive hearing aid, they will be able to pay the difference. Minors will be covered by the new law as well.
Opioid Overdose and Opioid-Related Emergency Act requires hospitals to follow specific protocol when treating opioid related emergencies. Mandates include requiring hospitals to use uniform practices for screening and diagnosing opioid emergencies. The laws will also require hospitals to refer patients who were treated for opioid emergencies to providers for further treatment before discharging them.
The So Every Body Can Move Act will require Medicaid and insurers operating in the state to cover partial or whole leg, arm and eye prosthetics, as well as their components or repairs on an annual basis. Patients may also be eligible for the replacement of their prosthetics in certain cases. Importantly, insurers won’t be able to impose a lifetime maximum for this coverage or a higher copayment or coinsurance rates than their customers have for similar benefits.
Expansion of coverage for medical imaging screenings for breast and lung cancer. For diagnostic and supplemental breast exams using MRIs, ultrasounds and image-guided biopsies, insurers won’t be able to impose copays, coinsurance, or deductibles on patients unless enrolled in a high-deductible health plan. Patients will also be eligible for imaging in lung cancer screenings and follow-up testing, which won’t require prior authorization.
New Rules for Pet Insurance Providers rules for pet insurance providers requires insurers to disclose coverage exclusions. Though the law takes effect on the first day of the year, the Maryland Insurance Administration will be required to create informational material for veterinarians across the state by June 1.
The Maryland Road Worker Protection Act of 2024 provides higher ticket costs for speeding through a work zone. In June, the penalty rose to $80, but the new pricing scheme effective in 2025 will depend on how much drivers go over the speed limit and if workers are present on the road during the offense. Going 12 to 15 mph over the limit, the lowest tier in the pricing structure, will result in a $60 fine without workers present and $120 if they are. The highest penalty provided by the scheme would be $1,000 for going 40 or more mph over the speed limit in a work zone with workers present. The law also expands the use of speed cameras in work zones.
The Housing Expansion and Affordability Act of 2024 will require local jurisdictions to allow for the development of new housing .First, the law will allow modular and manufactured homes to be built in zones designated for single-family homes, provided the home and the land meet certain requirements.
The law will also require jurisdictions to allow for greater density regardless of zoning for qualified projects. These qualified projects will necessarily entail a certain percentage of affordable housing units, depending on who owns the land, be it the state, federal government or a nonprofit, or if the land is three-quarters of a mile away from a rail station.
However, the increased density provisos won’t apply to agricultural land or land that’s being conserved. Qualified projects would also have to pass a public health assessment to be allowed to raise density.
Jurisdictions will be forbidden from imposing unreasonable requirements or limits on qualified projects in qualities like parking, height, setback or bulk. Lastly, the law limits how many of each type of hearing a qualified project would be subject to.
Security guard licensing requirements Maryland individuals or businesses that employ one or more people for security services, or loss prevention, will be required to license those employees as security guards beginning Jan. 1. Newly designated security guard employers must also register online and submit proof of insurance with the Maryland State Police Licensing Division.
Election judge recruitment Poll workers were in high demand this past election cycle. New laws will require the State Board of Elections to develop a marketing campaign to recruit more election judges. County employees serving as judges must also receive mandated administrative leave and compensation.
This newsletter was compiled from various news sources.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
