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MD Does Well Against Revised Health Care Goals

Goveror Martin O'Malley's Office

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Maryland has revised its enrollment goal for its new health insurance exchange after months when it looked like the state could miss its target

The Washington Post reports researchers decided the original goal was based on flawed data. Now the state has already beat its new enrollment goal.

Instead of signing up 260,000 Maryland residents for private insurance or Medicaid during the first enrollment period, the state is now expected to enroll 160,000 residents. So far, Maryland has signed up nearly 190,000 people. The new goal is detailed in a letter the exchange's interim director received from researchers Friday.

Maryland Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene Joshua Sharfstein says the goal remains to sign up as many residents as possible for insurance.

Technical problems have plagued Maryland's health exchange.

Problems

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - An oversight panel of Maryland lawmakers is scheduled to hold its second meeting to get an update on the state's defective health care exchange.

The committee is set to hear from state health officials Monday afternoon in Annapolis.

At the last meeting, state officials said while the state has improved the health exchange website, there are some problems that are not on track to be fixed by the March 31 enrollment deadline.

Lawmakers are expected to get an update on the number of people who are unable to complete the enrollment process. Other topics are expected to include how many problems the state exchange has that are believed to be fixable and an update on alternatives to the state exchange that are under consideration.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.