Maryland Senate Republican Slate

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"ObamaCare" Means Uncertainty for Maryland's Medical Practitioners

While Governor Martin O’Malley and state Democrats were praising the passage of the federal health care bill this week, other considered how the implementation of the new federal requirements poses great uncertainty for Maryland’s medical practitioners.

O'Malley's claim that the bill will save Maryland over $1  billion in health care costs runs contrary to most commentators who believe the new system will shift significant cost to state budgets.

Columnist Barry Rascovar of The Gazette analyzes the impact on Maryland’s delicately-balanced health system and concludes that “the long-term implications of this law could create a major earthquake in Maryland.”

Some highlights from Rascovar's commentary:

“As a result of this law, the growing scarcity of physicians in parts of the state could spread. Financially pinched hospitals could see their predicaments worsen. The state's unique rate-setting system for hospitals, established 40 years ago, might have to be junked or modernized.”

“Maryland's medical system could find itself ill-equipped to absorb an additional 600,000 patients who previously lacked coverage."

“So far, the governor and legislators have managed to avoid confronting that issue. But pressures are building on hospitals in Maryland, thanks in no small measure to the willingness of state regulators in recent years to favor insurers over medical centers.”

“Hospital reserve accounts aren't yielding any interest to help support health programs. Philanthropic gifts are way down. Yet, the demand for costly emergency room services and inpatient admissions are surging, particularly among the recently unemployed who lack insurance. This situation might deteriorate under the new health reform law, which mandates $500 billion in Medicare cuts to doctors and hospitals over the next decade.”

“Sharp reimbursement reductions might persuade more practicing physicians to retire early, switch careers or refuse to take Medicare and Medicaid patients — just what we don't need with a tidal wave of newly insured patients about to flood waiting rooms.”

“As for Maryland hospitals, they could face a double-whammy: State regulators not only will implement painful Medicare rate reductions, they will go further and cut hospital charges even more dramatically to maintain the state's status.”

To read the full Rascovar article: click here

How the Teachers Union Controls Education Policy in Annapolis

The Washington Post bemoans the lackluster provisions passed in Governor Martin O’Malley’s education reform bill this past session. In a Sunday editorial, the Post notes how difficult it is to succeed in reform that is opposed by the teachers when the conference committee on a bill includes Prince George’s County Senator Paul Pinsky, who works as a teachers union organizer from Montgomery County.

Yes, the teachers union’s tentacles run deep in Annapolis. Most legislators have a hard time finding employers who allow a 3-month leave of absence to serve during the legislative session. However, for many years, a conscious effort has been made to elect teachers who are granted legislative session time from their Boards of Education so that state education policy can be shaped by the educators themselves.

The Post states: “As one of its last acts before adjourning Monday, the General Assembly approved legislation affecting teacher tenure and compensation in a bid to strengthen its application for federal Race to the Top dollars. The measure extends by a year the time a teacher must work before getting tenure, but opposition from teachers unions resulted in compromises that weakened reforms in how teachers are evaluated. Sen. Paul G. Pinsky (D-Prince George's), a union organizer for the Montgomery County Education Association, played a leading role in the conference that worked out the final bill, so it should be no surprise that the requirement that measurable student gains account for 50 percent of judging a teacher's performance was dropped. Unions also won a bigger role in developing the evaluations. Mr. Pinsky took exception in a recent letter on this page to our charge that he has a conflict of interest, but how else to describe a lawmaker shaping legislation that directly affects his employer?”

To read the full editorial, click here. 

In response, Pinsky states that he has been influencing state policy for teachers for over 24 years – so why is the Post a Johnny-come-lately with its charge of “conflict of interest.” To read the entire letter, click here. 

Pinsky’s letter echoes the classic Maryland legislator rebuttal, “Conflict of interest? How does this conflict with my interest?” – the legendary response given by Delegate Joe Staszak, a Baltimore City State Senator and tavern owner, on being asked whether a bill he sponsored benefiting taverns constituted a conflict of interest.

State Pension Reform Delay Will Lead to Fiscal Crisis (Just Look at Baltimore City)

This morning’s Baltimore Sun describes the burgeoning state of crisis in Baltimore City’s pension system. As city officials attempt to deal with a $64 million shortfall this year, union leaders are threatening a lawsuit over changes likely to be proposed in new legislation.

According to the Sun article, the police and firefighter’s unions are “contemplating suing the city for ‘chronically underfunding the pension plan’ as well as any ‘inappropriate’ aspects of the pension bill.” To read the entire article, click here.

Could the State of Maryland’s pension system be far behind?

Former budget secretary Cecilia Januszkiewicz wrote a commentary for The Free State Foundation that outlines how state officials have continually avoided the hard choices in pension reform by instead forming commissions to study the issue.

The 2010 legislative session was no exception. To read Januszdiewicz’s commentary “A Fig Leaf for Maryland’s Fiscal Folly,” click here. 

Maryland Health Care Freedom Act

Republican Senators EJ Pipkin, Nancy Jacobs and Alex Mooney have introduced a bill that would prohibit the implementation of the mandatory purchase of health insurance provisions in the federal health care bill championed by President Barack Obama. The GOP bill proposes an amendment to the Maryland Constitution which would require a referendum vote by Maryland’s citizens at the General Election to be held on November 2, 2010.

Currently, Maryland law does not require State residents to obtain health care coverage. This proposed constitutional amendment prohibits any law requiring an individual, employer, or health care provider to participate in a health care system or that assesses penalties or fines for nonparticipation.  These measures would preserve health care freedom in Maryland for the purchase or sale of health insurance in private health care systems.

In response to the federal legislation, over 20 states have considered state legislation to make or keep health insurance optional, and allow people the freedom to purchase any type of coverage they choose. The proposed state legislation restricts the authority of state or federal government to establish single-payer or to mandate requirements that individuals purchase health insurance.

Senate Bill 397 – Health Care Freedom Act of 2010 is being considered by the Senate Finance Committee.