Based on new HHS guidance, Maryland’s HCRCC met on December 17, 2012 and reversed its selection of the state employee plan as the state’s Essential Health Benefit Benchmark. On Monday, the HCRCC voted to select the Small Employer Plan as the EHB Benchmark. The small employer plan will serve as the EHB for both small group and individual plans, but individual plans will also include the mandates for that market, including an Invitro Fertilization mandate.
While MHAMD and other mental health and substance use disorder advocates pushed for the state employee plan as the EHB selection, based on new guidance, we were able to request that the HCRCC replace the mh/sud benefit in the small group plan with the Federal GEHA plan. The GEHA plan has a much more comprehensive mh/sud benefit and is more specifically parity complaint. The HCRCC took our suggestion and voted to make the GEHA mh/sud benefit the EHB mh/sud benefit. This is a big win for our community!
We will continue to monitor the EHB implementation. Check back here for updates or Sign up for Alerts