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 thousands 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 exchange were rolled out in response to the federal Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, and from the beginning the system has been rife with problems. Maryland is one of several 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 Lieutenant Gov. Anthony Brown introduced 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 retroactive to Jan. 1.
On Monday, the four private carriers participating in the state-based exchange agreed to make retroactive coverage available for thousands still left out in the cold by Maryland’s failed program. In addition, O’Malley announced this week there are no plans of abandoning the state exchange system in favor of the up-and-running federal system. In short, while state leaders acknowledge the failures of the system, they are not hell-bent on finding solutions.
“We encouraged the carriers to make this program available because we want as many Marylanders 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 lawmakers 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 establish retroactive coverage and passing MHIP legislation to provide a bridge for those who need care the most, we’re making a positive difference in the lives of Marylanders across our state.”
Senator Jim Mathias (D-38), who represents Worcester and the Lower Shore, serves on the committee that passed the emergency legislation this week and voted for the bill despite some misgivings about the program. Mathias essentially said this week the problems with the program are now water under the bridge and he is dedicated on finding a solution.
“It behooves us to get the job done,” he said. “It’s the law of the land and Maryland made the decision to launch its own exchange. With the miserable start of the state’s exchange, it’s incumbent on us to help our citizens through this process and get the affordable health care they need and deserve.”
Mathias said he feels the pain of the thousands of Marylanders caught in the failures of the state’s healthcare exchange. He was not shy about expressing his disappointment with the start of the program and vowed to direct his energy toward making it right.
“I too am disappointed with the dismal start and we’re taking our energy and effort and putting it into getting this right,” he said. “Our goal is to help our constituents with their health insurance. There are no excuses and I apologize for it. It wasn’t under my domain, but we’re all a part of it and we need to find a way now to fix it.”
Meanwhile, while state Democrats acknowledged the failure of the system this week and promised to find solutions to make it right, the most scathing criticism came from the other side of the aisle from Republicans who have said the state exchange was flawed from the start.
“The administration’s rush to pass this bill makes it clear that the colossal failure of the Maryland Health Connection website is a symptom of deeper problems with Maryland’s inept handling of Obamacare implementation,” said Republican Sen. David Brinkley on Tuesday. “These problems foreshadow dire consequences to future state budgets as well as our citizens who, through no fault of their own, are currently without health insurance.”
Eastern Shore Republican Delegate Jeannie Haddaway, who is running for lieutenant governor on the David Craig ticket, said the proposed solutions will not likely solve the problems with the system.
“The hearing in Annapolis today confirms what we have been saying all along,” said Haddaway. “Trying to solve a bureaucratic nightmare with more bureaucracy doesn’t work. This is another waste of taxpayers’ money and creates even more opportunity for people to fall through the cracks because they can’t get coverage …”