Managing Health Care in Maryland: Lawmakers’ Role in Health Policy

Abstract

Over the past 10 years, more and more state legislatures have gotten into the business of managing their states’ health care delivery systems. With the failure to pass comprehensive national health care reform in the early part of the 1990's, the buck has passed to state governments to increase access, contain costs, and evaluate quality and program effectiveness. The writer is a nurse and a member of the Maryland House of Delegates. She offers an insider’s view of the progress of health care reform in Maryland. Maryland is a state where regulation has prevailed over competition but many feel that stance may be undergoing some change.