BERLIN State lawmakers this
week were nearly unanimous in
their displeasure in the ongoing
problems with the Maryland's health
care exchange, which has left thou-
sands without promised affordable
health insurance, but not all agree
on the possible solutions.
In October, the Maryland Health
Insurance Plan (MHIP) and the
state's associated health care ex-
change were rolled out in response
to the federal Affordable Care Act,
or Obamacare, and from the begin-
ning the system has been rife with
problems. Maryland is one of sever-
al states to implement its own plan
in response to Obamacare rather
than have its citizens go through the
federal program, but from computer
glitches, to lost applications to the
complete crash of the state website,
thousands of Marylanders are still
without affordable health insurance
through the plan.
The O'Malley administration has
acknowledged the problem and is
attempting to make it right for many
Marylanders caught in the mire.
This week, for example, O'Malley
and Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown intro-
duced emergency legislation that
will allow thousands across the
state who experienced technical
challenges on the health reform
website to enroll in the private plan
of their choice with coverage retro-
active to Jan. 1.
On Monday, the four private car-
riers participating in the state-based
exchange agreed to make retroac-
tive coverage available for thou-
sands still left out in the cold by
Maryland's failed program. In addi-
tion, O'Malley announced this week
there are no plans of abandoning
the state exchange system in favor
of the up-and-running federal sys-
tem. In short, while state leaders
acknowledge the failures of the sys-
tem, they are not hell-bent on find-
ing solutions.
"We encouraged the carriers to
make this program available be-
cause we want as many Maryland-
ers as possible to enroll in health
coverage, and because we want to
provide whatever assistance we
can to individuals and families who
had difficulty using the website,"
said O'Malley this week.
Brown, a Democratic hopeful for
governor, has been at the center of
the fray and addressed state law-
makers on some of the problems
and possible solutions this week.
"We are 100-percent focused on
making health care available to
more Marylanders," said Brown. "By
working with the carriers to estab-
lish retroactive coverage and pass-
ing MHIP legislation to provide a
bridge for those who need care the
most, we're making a positive differ-
Solution To Md.
Health Exchange
Woes Debated
January 17, 2014
Page 15
The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch
SEE PAGE 34
By SHAWN J. SOPER
NEWS EDITOR
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