Bill > HB1451

This bill requires the Maryland Department of Health to establish a standardized system for collecting and compiling annual data on the costs associated with various women's health care services, including prenatal care, birth, postpartum care, pregnancy care, abortion services, and menopausal care. The department will develop reporting forms and instructions for hospitals, licensed healthcare providers, and other entities that offer these services, ensuring that the data collected is aggregated and anonymized to protect patient privacy, and will not include procedure-level details or any information prohibited by state law. Beginning December 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, the Department of Health must submit a comprehensive report to the General Assembly and make it publicly available online, detailing aggregated cost data for each category of care, regional comparisons, cost trend analyses, and any recommendations for improving cost efficiency, all while adhering to federal and state privacy laws like HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act).