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December 1998
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December 1998
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Governor Parris N. Glendening on the issue...
"We must continue to work to ensure we have quality, affordable health care for all our children and all our families. We must provide our children with more than just a roof over their heads and food to nourish them. We must make sure they are well educated and healthy. After all, their future is our future."
Tour of Harford Memorial Hospital
March 9, 1998
When I say people with mental illnesses need some of the same things we all need... I mean all people of all ages. The mental health of Maryland's children and adolescents is a major concern for my Administration."
The Mental Health Association
of Maryland Legislative Dinner
February 8, 1995
Over the past four years, the Glendening-Townsend Administration has fulfilled its promise to provide affordable quality health care for all Marylanders. Through their efforts 60,000 children and pregnant women from working families will now have access to affordable health care coverage. Maryland has been a national leader in guaranteeing continuity of care, ensuring sufficient hospital stays for new mothers and their babies and providing consumers with vital information to make sound decisions. Maryland is using a federally approved waiver to manage the care provided through the Medicaid program for approximately 80 percent of eligible residents. Recipients have enrolled in Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) for the provision of somatic care, including substance abuse services. A broad range of specialized providers, consumers, family members, advocates and professional organizations were involved in planning and implementing this effort.
Mental health services were carved out of the waiver and are now provided in a specialty system by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, local Core Service Agencies and community providers. All Medicaid recipients and low-income uninsured citizens are covered by the new public mental health system. The benefit package includes a wide range of specialty services including home intervention, day treatment, outpatient therapy, residential treatment, inpatient hospitalization, case management and crisis services for Marylanders of all ages.
"Now that we have made health insurance available to most Maryland families, let's look forward and make sure our health care system works effectively... We want the best health care system in the world for our families. We also want decisions made on patient needs not corporate profits!"
1998 Address to the
Maryland Association of Counties
August 8, 1998
Time Magazine, in a recent cover story, reported that Maryland is "ahead of the feds." Consumer group "Families USA" says Maryland is in the top third in terms of states which are taking aggressive actions to protect Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) members. The Glendening-Townsend Administration, working collaboratively with the Maryland General Assembly has instituted an appeals and grievance process that gives patients the right to appeal adverse HMO decisions to the State Insurance Commissioner.
Moreover, in Maryland HMOs must now reimburse providers for emergency room care that a patient reasonably thought was necessary. Maryland law protects confidentiality and gives consumers extensive rights to consumer information.
During our second term, the Glendening-Townsend Administration will:
Successfully implement our landmark "Maryland Children's Health Program" to provide health care for 60,000 children and pregnant women
Secure another federal Medicaid waiver to increase community-based mental health services for children and adolescents with serious emotional disturbances
Continue to improve health care reform efforts initiated in our first term
Continue to expand the "Caring for Every Child's Mental Health Program"
Increase and enhance services which will effectively support people living in the community.
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