Senate bill lets Maryland children buy Medicaid coverage at cost

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ANNAPOLIS — The state Senate passed legislation Monday that would allow all Maryland children to purchase the state Medicaid benefits package at cost, but it would not increase the number of children eligible for financial assistance to buy the coverage.

Senate Bill 149, a bill introduced by Gov. Martin O’Malley, originally expanded state subsidies for children to have access to Medicaid, but the Senate Finance Committee removed the expansion from the bill. The committee kept a provision allowing dependent children to stay on their parents’ health insurance plans until the age of 25.

Lawmakers came into the 90-day legislative session hoping to take significant steps toward insuring some of the state’s nearly 800,000 residents without health insurance. But a projected budget shortfall has overshadowed the health care debate.

While a bill passed by the House included a $1 increase in the cigarette tax to pay for expanding Medicaid access to about 110,000 adults and children, the Senate has thus far rejected any revenue- raising measures that do not address the state’s general fund shortfall.

Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr., D-Calvert and Prince George’s, has said the House bill has no chance of passing the Senate this year. Miller has proposed addressing the budget shortfall this year with a mix of taxes, budget cuts and legalized slot machines.

House Speaker Michael E. Busch has agreed with O’Malley’s plan to wait until next year to address the deficit.

The cigarette tax increase to pay for health care has proven to be one of the biggest points of contention this year between the chambers.