Final Report on Health Reform in Maryland Released

The Maryland Health Care Reform Coordinating Council (HCRCC) released its final report on January 10, 2011. The report is the result of the HCRCC’s efforts since March 2010, when it was created by Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley to make recommendations regarding Maryland’s implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This final report sets forth a blueprint for Maryland’s implementation of health care reform and includes an overview of the ACA, with a description of the findings of the HCRCC, which were published in its interim report released in July 2010. It also: describes the already-established foundation for reform in Maryland; summarizes the work and process of the HCRCC; identifies the major challenges and opportunities presented by implementation; identifies the necessary investments to ensure success; and identifies 16 recommended short- and long-term action items on how federal reform can be implemented most effectively. The HCRCC was co-chaired by the Honorable Anthony G. Brown, Lieutenant Governor of Maryland, and John M. Colmers, Secretary of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The lead staff for the HCRCC were Charles Milligan, Hilltop’s executive director, and Alice Burton, principal at Riverside Consulting, LLC. Beyond providing various forms of staff support, Hilltop’s researchers conducted an in-depth analysis of the provisions of the ACA and developed a financial model to project Maryland’s costs and savings associated with implementing health reform. To learn more about the HCRCC and view the interim and final reports, click here. To learn more about Hilltop’s financial model, contact Charles Milligan.

January 11, 2011