ROBERT L. EHRLICH, JR., Governor                             Ch. 449

shall identify mechanisms through which the programs and services can be
consolidated to provide health care services to adults,

(a) (1) (b) The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene shall use the
information obtained in the comprehensive review conducted under subsection (a) of
this section to seek approval of a waiver from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services that would allow the State to use federal matching funds to implement the
Primary Adult Care Network established under § 15-136 of the Health - General
Article, as enacted by Section 1 of this Act.

(2) The waiver application shall include methods to merge the Maryland
Primary Care Program into the Primary Adult Care Network, while ensuring
continuity of benefits to enrollees in the Maryland Primary Care Program.

(b) (c) If the Department is denied the waiver applied for under subsection
(a) of this section, the Department may not implement the program established under
§ 15-136 of the Health — General Article by, as enacted by Section 1 of this Act.

SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That Section 1 of this Act shall
take effect on the date that the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
approves a waiver applied for in accordance with Section 2 of this Act. If the waiver is
denied, this Act shall be null and void without the necessity of further action by the
General Assembly. The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, within 5 days
after receiving notice of approval or denial of a waiver, shall forward a copy of the
notice to the Department of Legislative Services, 90 State Circle, Annapolis,
Maryland 21401.

SECTION 4. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the Department of
Health and Mental Hygiene shall develop a methodology, that shall be revenue
neutral to the State, to address the existing inequities between commercial and
provider-sponsored managed care organizations as a result of adverse risk selection
related to individuals in GEO-demographic rate cells. On or before October 1, 2003,
the Department shall report to the Senate Finance Committee and the House Health
and Government Operations Committee, in accordance with § 2-1246 of the State
Government Article, on the methodology developed by the Department.

SECTION 4. 5. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That, except as provided in
Section 3 of this Act, this Act shall take effect July 1, 2003.

Approved May 22, 2003.

CHAPTER 449
(House Bill 774)

AN ACT concerning

Higher Education - Educational Excellence Awards - Funding

FOR the purpose of requiring a minimum up to at least a certain amount of funding

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