The Health Services Cost Review Commission (HSCRC) began strategic planning efforts over the summer to define the ideal future position for HSCRC and the Maryland Model over the next decade. Last week HSCRC revealed a new aspirational vision statement for Maryland’s Total Cost of Care Model: “The Maryland Model, stabilized and embracing a population health approach for all providers, will serve as the nation’s leader in health equity, quality, access, total cost, and consumer experience by leveraging value-based payment methodologies across all payers.”

For 20 months, hospitals have grappled with COVID-19 patient surges. And we now feel additional pressures due to the unprecedented workforce shortages and financial strains. Last week, during an appearance at the Health Facilities Association of Maryland’s annual conference, I reflected on another persistent challenge—transitioning people out of hospitals and into post-acute care (PAC) facilities to make space for acute patients.

Included in a slew of new Maryland laws that took effect Friday were several priority bills championed by MHA and your hospitals to advance health equity. These necessary laws—delivering proper training, data, and collaboration to close long-standing inequities—rounded out our bold health equity agenda in the 2021 legislative session.

Last week MHA’s principal governing body, the Executive Committee, met to explore ways to secure the future of the Total Cost of Care Model. At the start, they heard from Maryland Health Secretary Dennis Schrader and Health Services Cost Review Commission Chair Adam Kane that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services wants more value: more cost savings, more care transformation, more health care quality improvement and disparities reduction, and more work to advance population health.