PARRIS N. GLENDENING, Governor                             Ch. 501

plans, the scope of program benefits, including but not limited to the feasibility of expanding
benefits to individuals who are unable to afford health insurance or long term care, or to other
populations, and the availability of special programs tailored to meet the individual health
care needs of program recipients.

SECTION 4. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That Section 1 of this Act may not
take effect until the General Assembly gives legislative approval to the proposed plan of the
Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene to implement the program to require enrollment in
managed care plans provided under this Act, including the feasibility of expanding benefits to
unserved individuals who are unable to afford health insurance or long-term care, or to other
populations.

SECTION 4. 5. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That, subject to Section 3
Sections 2 and 4 of this Act, this Act shall take effect July 1, 1995.

Approved May 25, 1995.

CHAPTER 501
(House Bill 8)

AN ACT concerning

Small Employer Group Health Insurance —Eligibility of Employees

FOR the purpose of altering eligibility requirements under the Maryland Health
Insurance Reform Act to allow any employee of a small employer, who works a
certain number of hours per week, to obtain health benefits under the Act;
specifying the criteria for determining whether an employer is a small employer
under the Act; establishing certain minimum participation requirements; requiring
a carrier that offers coverage to a small employer to provide coverage to any eligible
dependent of an eligible employee and to any employee of the small employer that
the small employer designates, regardless of certain eligibility requirements;
amending the Maryland Health Insurance Reform Act to make that Act applicable
to certain self-employed individuals; requiring open enrollment in accordance with
certain provisions of this Act and regulations: altering certain conditions that may be
imposed on enrollees of certain health benefit plans; requiring a carrier to establish a
certain open enrollment period for self-employed individuals; making it an unfair trade
practice for certain persons to arrange for an employee to apply for an individual
policy for certain purposes; providing for the effective date of certain provisions of
this Act; providing for a delayed effective date for certain provisions of this Act;
providing for the application of certain provisions of this Act; making certain technical
corrections; and generally relating to eligibility of employees to obtain health
insurance under the Act small employer group health insurance.

BY renumbering

Article 48A - Insurance Code

Section 698(k), (1), (m), (n), and (o), respectively

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