ROBERT L. EHRLICH, JR., Governor                             Ch. 356

(2002 Replacement Volume and 2002 Supplement)

BY adding to

Article - Insurance

Section 14-116(f)

Annotated Code of Maryland

(2002 Replacement Volume and 2002 Supplement)

BY adding to

Article - State Government

Section 2-10A-08

Annotated Code of Maryland

(1999 Replacement Volume and 2002 Supplement)

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
Article - State Government
Section 6.5-203(h)
Annotated Code of Maryland
(1999 Replacement Volume and 2002 Supplement)

Preamble

WHEREAS, Maryland's Blue Cross Plan was created by statute in 1937 as a
charitable and benevolent organization for the benefit and common good of the
community as a whole; and

WHEREAS, Maryland's Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans were consolidated
into a single nonprofit corporation in 1985 to create Blue Cross and Blue Shield of
Maryland, Inc.; and

WHEREAS, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Maryland, Inc., merged with Group
Hospitalization and Medical Services, Inc., in 1997, and CareFirst, Inc., was formed
as a holding company; and

WHEREAS, In 2000, CareFirst, Inc., entered into an affiliation with BlueCross
BlueShield Delaware; and

WHEREAS, CareFirst, Inc., is Maryland's Blue Cross Blue Shield Plan; and

WHEREAS, CareFirst, as a nonprofit corporation, is a community asset; and

WHEREAS, The mission of CareFirst is to provide the most affordable and
accessible health insurance to Maryland citizens; and

WHEREAS, There is a national crisis of health insurance affordability and
accessibility; and

WHEREAS, CareFirst is the State's largest health insurer; and

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