Ch. 614                                       LAWS OF MARYLAND

SECTION 4. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall
take effect October 1, 1989.

Approved May 25, 1989.

CHAPTER 614

(Senate Bill 794)

AN ACT concerning

Maryland Medical Assistance Program
and Community-Based Initiatives

FOR the purpose of establishing a State policy for the Maryland
Medical Assistance Program; requiring the Maryland Medical
Assistance Program to provide promote educational
opportunities for Program recipients on certain aspects of
health care and to work with certain groups to assist in the
education of Program recipients; expanding the coverage of
the Program to include all infants and pregnant women who
fall below a certain poverty level; specifying that the
Program may further expand for infants and children under
certain circumstances; specifying a funding source for the
expansion of the Program; specifying that the Secretary of
Health and Mental Hygiene may renew certain contracts
indefinitely under certain circumstances; shall continue in
effect unless terminated by the Program or by the provider;
providing a certain exception; specifying that the Program
shall use its leverage as a high volume purchaser to
increase the cost effectiveness of the Program; requiring
the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to review
certain regulations and to amend certain regulations under
certain circumstances; requiring the Program to include
certain managed care pilot programs for certain groups of
Program recipients under certain circumstances; requiring
certain managed care pilot programs to be carefully
controlled and their health care outcomes and cost savings

convincingly demonstrated; requiring changes to the

Program's regulations to be made at regular fixed intervals
and providing a certain exception; requiring the Department
to seek recovery of certain money expended from certain
persons; requiring the Department of Health and Mental

Hygiene to adopt certain regulations; effectiveness

evaluated; establishing a Special Joint Legislative
Committee on the Medical Assistance Program with certain
responsibilities; providing staff for the Committee;
providing for the termination of the Committee by a certain
date; requiring certain studies and directives to be
undertaken by certain persons and the results of those

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