Bill > HB1059

This bill establishes the Maryland Helping Everyone Afford Life-Saving Treatments and Health Care (HEALTH) Fund to provide financial assistance to Maryland Medical Assistance Program enrollees and individuals with health insurance who face healthcare costs related to services subject to federal restrictions. The fund will be administered by the Executive Director of the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange and will be financed through voluntary tax return checkoff contributions, state budget appropriations, and other donations. Taxpayers will have the option to contribute to the fund directly on their income tax returns, either by reducing their tax refund or adding to their tax payment. The fund is designed to be a special, non-lapsing account that cannot be used for administrative expenses and is intended to supplement, not replace, existing healthcare funding. The Executive Director is required to submit an annual report to the General Assembly detailing the fund's donations, administrative costs, and expenditures. The Maryland Health Benefit Exchange will develop regulations to implement the fund, which is set to take effect on July 1, 2025, and will apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2024.