With just one week left in the Maryland Legislative Session, we are thrilled to share that both of our bills have passed through to the opposite chamber, which will send them to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law! Both bills passed unanimously through the Senate Chamber, and the House Chamber only had a few dissenters who voted against the legislation. Both bills had bipartisan support.
Since becoming the 6th state to pass legislation as part of the So Every BODY Can Move initiative, Maryland is again amongst the first to expand current law. We join New Mexico, Oregon, and Georgia, who all expanded their laws in various ways, and there are handful of states that are working hard to accomplish the same before their sessions end.
In Maryland, our first SEBCM law that went into effect on January 1st, 2025 requires insurance companies that are regulated by Maryland law to provide coverage for an additional prosthesis for physical activity when determined to be medically necessary by the individual’s care provider. This includes state commercial insurance plans, state employee insurance plans, and state Medicaid plans.
Our new legislation, which just passed, will expand the current law to include coverage for activity-specific orthoses for those same insurers.
This would not have happened without the lead of Sheryl Sachs, MSPO, CPO and the other advocates around the state who shared their stories and testified at the bill hearings, including our own patient Mr. John Singer, who testified at both hearings to share his story and the impact that passing this legislation would have on the lives of Marylanders like himself.
A huge thank you again to our bill sponsors: SB 276, championed by Senator Pam Beidle and co-sponsors Senator Dawn Gile and Senator Shelly Hettleman, and HB 445, championed by Delegate Ashanti Martinez and original co-sponsor Delegate Bonnie Cullison.
We are hopeful that Governor Moore will sign the bills into law in the next 2 months! Once signed, the law will go into effect January 1st, 2027. Please give our office a call to start planning and to see if you will be eligible for this new coverage through your insurance!