Maryland

Maryland lawmakers approve easier path for undocumented immigrants to buy insurance

Published

2 months ago

March 8, 2024

Maryland lawmakers approve easier path for undocumented immigrants to buy insurance

Maryland lawmakers are on track to allowing undocumented immigrants to buy health insurance on the stateâs insurance exchange â though theyâll still need to pay full price and wonât get any government subsidies.

The Maryland Senate gave approval to the change on a 34-13 vote on Friday afternoon. That followed approval in the House of Delegates on a 101-34 vote in late February.

A few largely procedural steps remain â each chamber passing the otherâs version â before the measure goes to Gov. Wes Moore for his consideration.

The goal of the change is to help make a dent in the stateâs population of people who lack health insurance.

The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors. Become one.

About 6.1% of state residents are uninsured, and officials estimate that about 30% of them â 112,000 â are immigrants who lack legal documentation. Theyâre currently banned from using the state health insurance exchange to shop for and purchase insurance plans.

âIt helps some people who get sick, get better. Nothing wrong with that,â said Sen. James Rosapepe, a Prince Georgeâs County Democrat, as he explained his vote on Friday.

âWeâre excited that, pending approval from the federal government, all Maryland residents will be able to use Maryland Health Connection to compare and purchase private health plans,â said Michele Eberle, executive director of Maryland Health Benefit Exchange.

The health exchange already has a version of the site in Spanish and a Google translate feature for other languages, as well as a call center capable of offering help in more than 200 languages â all in an effort to make buying insurance as accessible as possible.

If the bill withstands the final steps of the legislative process and is approved by the governor, the state would have to ask the federal government for a waiver to allow undocumented immigrants to use the health exchange. If that waiver is granted, it could take until 2026 for the health exchange to begin accepting undocumented immigrants, according to a nonpartisan analysis of the bill.

The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors. Become one.

Opening the health exchange up to undocumented immigrants would not initially cost the state any money, as no subsidies are involved and the exchange reported that it can accommodate any increased demand with existing staffing and resources.

Members from several organizations held a rally on Lawyers Mall outside the State House in Annapolis on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024. They advocated for a series of bills to address health care access and affordability. (Pamela Wood)

The bill spurred contentious debate in the House of Delegates, with Del. Mark Fisher, a Calvert County Republican, calling it an âabsurdly ridiculous bill.â

Del. Joseline PeÃ±a-Melnyk, chair of the health committee, said itâs the latest step in attacking the stateâs rate of uninsured residents. Before the federal Affordable Care Act â dubbed âObamacareâ by many â the state had 756,000 people who were uninsured.

PeÃ±a-Melnyk described a series of subsequent actions that have brought the number of uninsured down to 350,000 people: Expanding Medicaid, funding plans on the health exchange with a tax on insurance companies, expanding subsidies for young adults and using tax returns to connect eligible people to the health exchange.

Helping people get insurance plans means better care for them and lower costs for the whole system, said PeÃ±a-Melnyk, a Democrat whose district includes parts of Prince Georgeâs and Anne Arundel counties.

The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors. Become one.

âWhere are these people going to get their care? You know where they go?â she asked. âThey go to the emergency room. Maryland has the worst emergency wait times in the entire nation.â

The Access to Care Act was supported by four of the key caucuses in the General Assembly: the Asian American Pacific Islander Caucus, the Maryland Legislative Latino Caucus, the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland and the Maryland Legislative Jewish Caucus. The caucus leaders wrote in a letter of support that the bill is âa financially responsible solution to improve healthcare access and affordability.â

They also noted that the bill will help families of mixed status, meaning some are legal residents and others are not. âThis inclusive approach recognizes the diverse makeup of our communities and addresses the logistical and emotional barriers these families face in securing health coverage,â the caucus leaders wrote.

In the Senate, some Republicans raised concerns that Maryland has continually made the state more welcoming for people to come here illegally.

âWeâve done everything imaginable to have a flashing neon sign that says, âHey, come here!,ââ said Sen. Justin Ready, a Carroll County Republican. The stateâs infrastructure just canât handle the needs of more undocumented immigrants, he said.

The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors. Become one.

âWe canât continue to throw out a welcome wagon and add more and more cost to our citizens,â he said.

But supporters counter that the measure will actually save money.

When people without insurance need care, they go to emergency rooms that are required to help them regardless of ability to pay. The costs of that uncompensated care are spread out among everyone else who has insurance.

âWhat that means is all of us end up paying for their care,â said Sen. Clarence Lam, a Democrat representing Howard and Anne Arundel counties.

Over the last 10 years, reducing the uninsured population from 13% to 6% has resulted in a savings of $460 million in that uncompensated care, according to a recent study, said Vincent DeMarco of Maryland Health Care for All.

The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors. Become one.

âThis is a great day for Maryland because we all benefit when more people have access to health insurance coverage,â he said.

While the debate was civil in the Senate on Friday, the bill sponsor, Sen. Antonio Hayes, said the rhetoric has been worse beyond the State House.

âOutside of here, Iâve gotten really scathing messages, including personal threats to me,â the Baltimore Democrat said.

Traci Kodeck, CEO of HealthCare Access Maryland, a nonprofit that works to increase health plan enrollment, said the bill could help many people.

âIâm excited about the potential of this bill,â Kodeck said. âWe are already working with the community so I donât feel like itâll be a difficult challenge for us to connect with them.â

CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, a nonprofit carrier that is the stateâs largest insurer, supported the Access to Care Act, said Rebecca Hollamon, a CareFirst spokesperson.

âPeople without insurance coverage have inadequate access to care compared to those who are insured, and when people do not have insurance, the cost of care can be debilitating,â she said.

Source link

Click to comment

Maryland

Maryland weather: Finally dry for Sunday

Published

2 hours ago

May 19, 2024

Press Room

Maryland weather: Finally dry for Sunday

CBS News Baltimore

Live

BALTIMORE-

Sunday is starting off partly clear to mostly cloudy with a lot of moisture aloft to our east, but we are finally DRY.

Temperatures range as you get ready to head out the door from the 50s to the 60s.

Highs reach the lower to middle 70s this afternoon under cloudy skies. A spotty chance at a shower remains in our forecast.

Clouds will build as we head into the evening and overnight, keeping us in the upper 50s.

Monday will bring some sunshine back into our forecast.

Tuesday we see a shot at the 80s.

Shower chances do increase as we head into the middle workweek.

Source link

Maryland

Jeremi Tremblay's hat trick sends Maryland to Robertson Cup Championship Game

Published

9 hours ago

May 19, 2024

Press Room

Jeremi Tremblay's hat trick sends Maryland to Robertson Cup Championship Game

BLAINE, Minn. — The Maryland Black Bears will play for the Robertson Cup after earning a 6-2 win over Minot Saturday night at Fogerty Arena.

The win secures a two-game sweep for the Black Bears, who will play the Lone Star Brahmas for the prestigious Robertson Cup on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Maryland went 3-for-6 on the power play and Sacred Heart commit Jeremi Tremblay scored three times, propelling his team to victory.

Owen Lepak also played a key role for the winning squad, as the Michigan native stopped 46 of the 48 shots the Minotauros fired his way.

Jeremi Tremblay of Maryland celebrates after scoring a power-play goal against Minot on May 18, 2024, during the Robertson Cup semifinals in Blaine, Minnesota.

Sydney Wolf / The Rink Live

Maryland opened scoring late in the first period with its first of the three power-play tallies. Holy Cross commit Matthew Croxall sent a cross-ice pass to Tremblay, who fired a shot past Minot netminder Brady James from the left circle.

The Minotauros tied things up early in the second period as Nick Sewecke sent a rebound past Lepak, which started on a shot from defenseman Colby Woogk.

However, it didn’t take long for the Black Bears to take the lead again. Maryland won an offensive-zone faceoff and Dylan Gordon skated the puck around the left circle, pushing his way to the front of the crease and sliding the puck past James.

Maryland took a two-goal lead later in the second period thanks to a bit of penalty trouble from the Minotaurous.

The Black Bears had a full two-minute 5-on-3 powerplay as Will Dawson was sent to the box for hooking and Chad Muller was penalized for head contact. Tremblay tallied his second goal of the game from on the ensuing man-advantage.

Air Force commit Sam Stitz further increased the Maryland lead in the third period as he clapped a shot into the back of the net for another power-play strike.

Minot attempted to make a comeback in the final minutes of regulation, and Cayden Casey did score a goal, but that wouldn’t prove to be enough in the 6-2 loss. Maryland tacked on two empty-net goals to finish the contest, including Tremblay’s third of the night.

In addition to Tremblay’s two goals, Dimitry Kebreau registered three assists and Cal Huston had two in the victory. The Minotauros went 0-for-5 on the man advantage.

This story will be updated.

MARYLAND 6, MINOT 2

MYD: 1-2-3—6
MNT: 1-0-1—2

First period scoring — 1. MYD, Jeremi Tremblay (Matthew Croxall, Luke Janus) 15:23 (ppg)
Penalties — MYD, Kareem El-Bashir (roughing) 9:12; MNT, Ian Spencer (kneeing) 12:05; MNT, Ian Spencer (high-sticking) 14:22

Second period scoring — 1. MNT, Nick Sewecke (Colby Woogk, Trevor Stachowiak) 3:09; 2. MYD, Dylan Gordon (Dimitry Kebreau) 9:34; 3. MYD, Jeremi Tremblay (Cal Huston, Dimitry Kebreau) 13:28 (5-on-3)
Penalties — MYD, Sam Stitz (slashing) 3:49; MNT, Will Dawson (hooking) 13:16; MNT, Chad Muller (head contact) 13:16; MYD, Michael Urgo (cross-checking) 18:55

Third period scoring — 4. MYD, Sam Stitz (Dimitry Kebreau, Cal Huston) 12:58 (ppg); 2. MNT, Cayden Casey (Chad Muller) 14:05; 5. MYD, Jeremi Tremblay (unassisted) 18:11 (eng); 6. MYD, Riley Ruh (Luke Amell) 18:38 (eng)
Penalties — MYD, Cal Huston (holding) 6:12; MYD, Luke Amell (high-sticking) 6:18; MNT, Jack O’Hanisain (slashing) 6:23; MNT, Ian Spencer (checking from behind) 11:55

Shots on goal — MYD, 15-12-6—33; MNT, 15-15-18—48
Goalie saves — MYD, Owen Lepak 15-14-17—46 (2GA); MNT, Brady James 14-10-3—27 (4GA)

Penalties-minutes: MYD, 5-10; MNT, 6-12
Power-play goals—opportunities: MYD, 3-6; MNT, 0-5

Sydney Wolf is a reporter for The Rink Live, primarily covering youth and high school hockey. She joined the team in November of 2021 and graduated from St. Cloud State University with a degree in Mass Communications and a minor in Writing and Rhetoric Studies.

Source link

Maryland

2024 Preakness Stakes Day: Gallorette, Maryland Sprint, Dinner Party Stakes Bets

Published

16 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Press Room

2024 Preakness Stakes Day: Gallorette, Maryland Sprint, Dinner Party Stakes Bets

I plan to use my winnings from the prior races to bet on the 2024 Preakness Stakes Saturday, May 18th at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. With that in mind, there are four Graded stakes races on Preakness Day. I have action in three: Grade III Gallorette Stakes, Grade III Maryland Sprint Stakes, and the Grade III Dinner Party Stakes.

For many people, including myself, betting on horse racing is intimidating. The past performances (PPs) are loaded with info, shorthand notes, and seemingly random numbers. It’s super fun, and you can make lifetime cashes on small bets. Here’s a quick crash course for horse race betting that I wrote for the 150th Kentucky Derby two weeks ago:

The Stakes Barn awaits horses on Preakness Stakes 2024 Day at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. (Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports)

You can bet a horse to Win (1st), “Place” (2nd), and “Show” (3rd) or “Across the Board”, which is betting all three. There are exotics such as “Exacta”, “Trifecta”, and “Superfecta” for those searching for massive paydays. In an exacta, you bet 2+ horses to finish 1st or 2nd. A trifecta includes 3+ horses for the Win-Place-Show.

A superfecta is 4+ horses to finish 1-4. By “boxing” an exacta, bettors can win if at least two of their picks Win or Place. The same goes for trifecta and superfecta boxes. “Keying” an exotic allows you to put your winner “up top” with horses underneath to finish in any order … Understood, right? Probably not.

Let’s get into the fun stuff: Gambling.

Preakness Stakes 2024 Undercard Picks

Race 7: Grade III Gallorette Stakes, 2:08 p.m. ET post time

A six-horse, one-and-1/6th-mile race on the turf for fillies three years old and up with a $100,000 purse.

3- Blissful

Morning Line (ML) odds: 7-2
Record (Starts-Win-Place-Show): 12-3-1-3
Jockey: Brian Hernandez Jr.
Trainer: Cherie Devaux

The #3 horse finished second in her last time out, ran her fastest speed ever, 88, and had a lead entering the home stretch. However, that race was one-and-1/8th-mile, so the shorter distance should help Blissful. All three of her wins were at this distance and on turf, including two races ago. Blissful has hit the money in five consecutive races (1-1-3). She was the top betting choice in three of those and outrun her odds in the other two.

7- Fluffy Socks

ML odds: 6-5
Record: 25-5-9-4
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.
Trainer: Chad Brown

At first, I looked for ways to fade Fluffy Socks because of her price. Yet, I cannot and this filly is by far the best in the Gallorette. Fluffy Socks has an elite jockey-trainer combo. She made the exacta in 10 of her 17 career graded stakes races. Since I’m Saratoga-bred, I’m biased toward Fluffy Socks since she’s been successful in my hometown. Fluffy Socks has finished Placed in three of her last four Saratoga races.

$5 Exacta Box: 3-7 for a $10 bet

_____________________________

Race 8: Grade III Maryland Sprint Stakes, 2:48 p.m. ET post time

A six-horse, six-furlong race on dirt for three-year-olds and up with a $100,000 purse.

1- Coastal Mission

ML odds: 3-1
Record: 19-12-3-1
Jockey: Arnaldo Bocachica
Trainer: Jeff Runco

Coastal Mission will break at shorter odds, if not as the favorite. The only knock on his resume is a fifth-place finish by 10 lengths in his only stakes race, the Grade II Cigar Mile, at Aqueduct in December 2023. Otherwise, Coastal Mission has won seven of his last eight races.

He ran his fastest career speed, a 100 Beyer, his last time out in a longer race at Laurel last month. Finally, this is a “good setup” for Coastal Mission. It’ll probably be a wet track because of early afternoon rain at Pimlico. Coastal Mission is 6-0-0 in eight career races on wet tracks and is 6-3-1 in 11 career races at this distance.

3- Super Chow

ML odds: 4-1
Record: 18-8-4-5
Jockey: Javier Castellano
Trainer: Jorge Delgado

He’s hit the money in three consecutive races (2-0-1), all graded stakes races. When Super Chow runs at this distance, he is 6-2-2 in 11 starts. The four-year-old is 2-1-0 in three starts on wet tracks. Super Chow is 1-0-0 in two career starts at Pimlico. But, his win was by six-and-1/4th lengths at six furlongs.

4- Jaxon Traveler

ML odds: 6-1
Record: 29-9-7-5
Jockey: Flavien Prat
Trainer: Steve Asmussen

A top-two jockey-trainer combo in the Maryland Sprint. Jaxon Traveler runs well at Pimlico: 3-2-0 in six career starts. One of those second-place finishes was Grade III Chick Lang Stakes on Preakness Day in 2021. Jaxon Traveler won the six-furlong Grade III Whitemore at Oaklawn in March. The six-year-old has three wins in his last five times out.

PICK(s):

$2 Trifecta Key: 1/ 3-4 for a $4 bet
$11 Win on 1- Coastal Mission

_____________________________

Race 12: Grade III Dinner Party Stakes, 5:52 p.m. ET post time

A nine-horse, one-and-1/8th-mile race on the turf for three-year-olds and up with a $500,000 purse.

1- Highland Chief (Ireland)

ML odds: 12-1
Record: 17-4-2-2
Jockey: Jorge Ruiz
Trainer: H. Graham Motion

I could’ve just stopped at the top of the Dinner Party PPs. Highland Chief has run well since coming to America in 2022. Five of his six American races have been Graded. He’s won two of those: Grade I Man O’ War Stakes at Belmont in May 2022 and Grade III Sycamore at Keeneland in October later that year.

Highland Chief’s 105 Beyer in the Man O’ War win was the fastest speed of any horse in this field. Lastly, the Irishman is a “closer” and usually runs a longer distance. His last six races have been at least one-and-1/4th miles long.