****NOTICE****
This notice is given by Ben Steffen, Executive Director of the Maryland Health Care Commission (Commission), acting pursuant to the Proclamation of Governor Lawrence J. Hogan, Jr. (the Governor) dated March 5, 2020 proclaiming a state of emergency and a catastrophic health emergency related to COVID-19, as it has been and may be amended or renewed from time to time, and the Order of the Governor dated March 12, 2020 that was amended and restated in the Governor’s June 19, 2020 Order entitled "Extending Certain Licenses, Permits, Registrations, and Other Governmental Authorizations, and Authorizing Suspension of Legal Time Requirements" as it has been and may be amended from time to time, after finding that the action described herein will not endanger the public health, welfare, or safety.
By this Notice, the Commission is modifying the time frame for recalculation of user fee assessments so that a new four-year assessment allocation period will become effective on July 1, 2022 rather than on July 1, 2021. Maryland Code Annotated, Health-General (H-G) §19-111(d)(2) provides that every four years, the Commission shall recalculate its workload distribution to determine appropriate user fee assessments on payors, hospitals, nursing homes, and health care practitioners. This Notice modifies Commission regulations, at COMAR 10.25.03.02, which provide that the current 4-year user fee assessment period ends on June 30, 2021. (See also COMAR 10.25.02.02 regarding health care practitioners). Any effect of H-G §19-111(d)(2), COMAR 10.25.03.02, or COMAR 10.25.02.02 that is inconsistent with the foregoing Notice is hereby suspended.
This Notice is effective on March 1, 2021 and shall remain in effect until 30 days after the state of emergency has been terminated and the proclamation of the catastrophic health emergency has been rescinded.
The Maryland Health Care Commission is an independent regulatory agency whose mission is to plan for health system needs, promote informed decision-making, increase accountability, and improve access in a rapidly changing health care environment by providing timely and accurate information on availability, cost, and quality of health care services to members of the public and to policy makers, providers, and payors.
In order to accomplish our mission and program functions, the Commission requires operating funds, which are special funds that are collected through an assessment on the health care providers and payors that we regulate. Currently, the Commission assesses:
- Payors for an amount not to exceed 26% of the total budget;
- Hospitals for an amount not to exceed 39% of the total budget;
- Health Occupational Boards for an amount not to exceed 16% of the total budget; and
- Nursing Homes for an amount not to exceed 19% of the total budget
The amount is derived differently for each industry and is set every four years based on an analysis of the commission's work load
Annual User Fee Assessment Survey
If there are any questions regarding the assessment process, you can contact Brian Banschbach at (410) 764-5593 or by email at brian.banschbach@maryland.gov.
A copy of the most recent work load report can be viewed here.
A copy of the current fiscal year methodology calculation can be viewed here.