Public Health - Maryland Medical Assistance Program - Tobacco Cessation
Sponsor: Clarence K. Lam (District 12)Committee: FinanceSubject: Public HealthStatus: Hearing 3/10 at 1:00 p.m. (Finance) (as of Sep 4, 2026)
What this bill does
Official synopsis
Requiring the Maryland Medical Assistance Program to provide, subject to the limitations of the State budget and as permitted by federal law, individual and group counseling for the purpose of tobacco cessation; and prohibiting the Program and managed care organizations from requiring prior authorization for any product or service for use in tobacco cessation.
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Analysis reads the bill text, the fiscal note, and the witness list. It is generated by Claude and reviewed by nobody, so check the source documents before you rely on it.
Testimony (16)
MGA witness listFAV 13FavorableUNF 1UnfavorableINFO 2Information only
| Position | Witness | Organization | Testimony |
|---|---|---|---|
| FAV | Kilpatrick, Lancelobbyist | ACS-CAN | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Deepak, Janaki | American College of Physicians MD Chapter | Oral + Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Hale, Lauralobbyist | American Heart Association | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | DiGiulio, Anne | American Lung Association | Oral |
| FAV | Feeley, Kathryn | Legal Resource Center for Public Health Policy | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Rosen-Cohen, Nancy | NCADD-Maryland | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Paddy, Michaellobbyist | Public Policy Partners | Oral |
| FAV | Casper, Alekslobbyist | Individual | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Galiatsatos, Panagis | Individual | Oral |
| FAV | Khanna, Niharika | Individual | Oral |
| FAV | Melamed, Julia | Individual | Oral |
| FAV | Nixon, Davon | Individual | Oral + Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Senator Lam, Senator Lamlegislator | Individual | Oral |
| UNF | Davis, Stacey | Individual | Position only |
| INFO | Harris, Mrs | District 25 Constituent | Position only |
| INFO | Lynch, Meghan | Maryland Department of Health | Written (PDF) |
Organizations on record
Registered lobbyists who testified
FAVPaddy, MichaelPublic Policy PartnersRegistered for: American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network; Campaign to Protect Patient Health d/b/a Value of Care Coalition; Chase Brexton Health System; Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition; Gaudenzia, Inc.; Gilead Sciences, Inc.…