Maryland Medical Assistance Program and Health Insurance - Required Coverage for Calcium Score Testing
HB666 requires coverage for calcium score testing under both the Maryland Medical Assistance Program and certain private health coverage arrangements, including insurers, nonprofit health service plans, health maintenance organizations, and managed care organizations. The bill directs that coverage be provided for individuals who have at least three specified cardiovascular risk factors: diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or a family history of premature coronary artery disease. Coverage must follow the most recent American College of Cardiology guidelines that expand preventive care services for consumers.
The bill adds a new section to the Insurance Article and a corresponding Medicaid provision in the Health-General Article. For Medicaid, the Maryland Medical Assistance Program must begin covering calcium score testing on January 1, 2026. The same effective date applies to private policies, contracts, and health benefit plans issued, delivered, or renewed in Maryland on or after January 1, 2026. In practical terms, the measure expands preventive cardiac screening access and creates a new mandated benefit for both public and private coverage in the state.
HB666 amends Maryland law to require a new covered preventive service for eligible individuals in the Medicaid program and in regulated private health insurance products. It adds § 15-861 to the Insurance Article and updates § 15-103 of the Health-General Article so the Maryland Medical Assistance Program must cover calcium score testing beginning January 1, 2026. The bill also applies the mandate to insurers, nonprofit health service plans, and HMOs, and extends the requirement to managed care organizations through the Health-General Article. The affected parties are carriers, Medicaid administrators, managed care organizations, and consumers with elevated cardiovascular risk who may now receive earlier screening without direct out-of-pocket payment, subject to the bill’s eligibility criteria and guideline-based implementation.
The voting history suggests broad support for the bill. It passed the House by a wide margin, 107-31, and passed the Senate 42-5, indicating bipartisan approval and relatively limited opposition. No committee transcript was provided, so there is no recorded debate to indicate significant controversy in committee discussions. Overall, the bill appears to have been viewed favorably as a preventive health measure.
The main policy issue is the creation of a mandated coverage requirement, which can raise concerns about insurance costs, utilization, and the scope of state benefit mandates. Any opposition likely centered on those cost and mandate concerns rather than disagreement with the medical purpose of the screening. The bill’s eligibility threshold—requiring at least three specified risk factors—and its reliance on American College of Cardiology guidelines appear designed to limit coverage to higher-risk individuals, which may have reduced contention among supporters and opponents alike.