An Ounce Of Prevention

We’ve all heard the adage, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Prevention of disease, early detection and early intervention not only provide better health outcomes but make good financial sense. It’s why Maryland has invested in our primary care services, health screenings, prenatal care, childhood screenings and vaccinations, and ensuring that Marylanders have access to affordable, comprehensive health coverage.

In 2019, when it appeared likely that Congress would repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Maryland, having already established our own health benefit exchange, took preventive measures to protect our health care by codifying the protections of the Affordable Care Act such as the prohibition on pre-existing conditions, allowance of children to remain on their parents’ insurance until the age of 26, and requirements for insurance to cover preventive screenings and primary care into our state law.

Though the ACA was not repealed, by decoupling it from the federal law, our health care system and provider network were not thrown into the same chaos as other states each time the law came up for debate in Congress.

In January 2025, as we saw data-driven, evidence-based policy at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) being replaced with more partisan, discretionary policies regarding health care and covered services, and as we saw a removal of institutional knowledge and medical expertise within these same agencies, Maryland once again took an ounce of prevention.

Unless like me, you are a public health policy geek, you likely won’t read a lot about House Bill 974. You won’t notice a change due to HB 974, which passed mostly along partisan lines and quietly went into effect June 1, unless you leave Maryland. Then, you will immediately see the chaos we prevented with HB 974, with the gripping title “Health Insurance — Preventive Services — High Deductible Health Plans and Enforcement Authority.” HB 974 stopped time by requiring in our state law all the protections, screenings and services covered by insurance as required by federal law as of December 31, 2024, without cost sharing. This empowers our Maryland Insurance Administration to enforce these provisions, and it allows for future evidence-based, data-driven screenings and preventive measures to be added to the coverage. What does that mean to you?

In Anne Arundel County, we have always had a healthy vaccination rate exceeding the state average, not only during COVID but also our childhood vaccination schedule and with our vaccines for our aging population. It’s a point of pride for many Anne Arundel residents doing their part to protect their families and community.

With the passage of HB 974, your ability to access the full recommended schedule of vaccines will not be impeded by unexpected out-of-pocket costs. You won’t see a change in your covered health screenings at your next primary care or well-woman visit. And as we develop new vaccines, screenings and other preventive measures to promote population health, Maryland will lead in adopting those innovations.

We didn’t know if we were overcorrecting but in Maryland, because we did, Marylanders won’t feel the impact of the changes at the CDC and HHS. However, other states who did not take this prophylactic measure are learning that routine screenings and vaccinations may no longer be covered. Much like preventive screenings and vaccinations, HB 974 is a quiet bill with a huge impact that prevented unnecessary hardship and kept our state health system stable in uncertain times.

Next month, we’ll talk about the potential impact of HR 1, which was passed by Congress and signed into law in July.