Just as it has dominated our professional and personal lives for nearly a year, the COVID pandemic—and its effects—will dominate the Maryland General Assembly’s legislative session, which got underway last week.

The experience of the pandemic also set the foundation for MHA’s advocacy this session on your behalf. First and foremost, we are directly promoting two bills:

• Health Care Heroes Protection Act ensures liability protections for our hospitals and health workers during and after the public health emergency
• Preserve Telehealth Access Act of 2021 makes permanent the flexibility afforded to telehealth during the COVID emergency

MHA also will back legislation that advances health equity in our state and addresses historic disparities and systemic racism. That includes our work with a broad coalition in support of Health Equity Resource Communities.

We’ll also play defense, as always, including on the state budget and proposed legislation that would impose unhelpful mandates on your hospitals’ operations and billing practices.

This will be a unique session, much of it taking place virtually. It will be more challenging than ever to make our voices heard as lawmakers are inundated with emails, texts, calls, and Zooms.

Together with your government affairs teams, we will strive to win for hospitals and health systems. We have a great asset: the enormous goodwill you and your dedicated workforces have garnered during the COVID crisis by saving lives and protecting Marylanders.

Bob Atlas
President & CEO