On May 13, 2019, Governor Larry Hogan signed the Maryland Easy Enrollment Health Insurance Program into law. This program will use the tax filing process to help enroll uninsured Marylanders into health coverage offered through Medicaid or private health insurance carriers.

The Maryland Health Benefit Exchange is required to establish a Maryland Health Insurance Option Easy Enrollment Health Insurance Program (MEEHP) Advisory Work Group under § 31–203 of the Insurance Article. This work group will help evaluate the effectiveness of the Maryland Health Insurance Option Easy Enrollment Health Insurance Program, and provide recommendations as to whether implementing an individual responsibility amount or implementing automatic enrollment of individuals in a qualified health benefit plan in the individual market is feasible and in the best interest of the state. The Comptroller, in consultation with MHBE and with the advice of the advisory work group, shall:

• Develop language for the checkoff boxes described in statute.
• Include with developed language for the instructions for the state income tax return that includes a description of the effects of choosing the checkoff boxes, including the purpose for which the information disclosed under this section may be used; and
• Ensure that the language developed is as simple, clear, and easy to understand as possible.

The work group shall include representation from:

• The Office of the Comptroller
• Consumer Groups
• Employers
• Insurers
• Health Care Providers
• Navigators or Other Consumer Assisters
• Insurance Brokers or Agents
• Labor Organizations
• Income Tax Preparers
• National Policy Experts
• Any Other Organizations or Groups Selected by the Exchange

The work group will meet at least once every six months.