Md. Officials Plan To Submit Changes To Unique Medicare Waiver In Coming Weeks

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland officials will submit a plan to the federal government aimed at allowing them to hang onto about $1 billion in Medicare reimbursements received under a unique agreement with Washington, the chairman of a panel that sets hospital billing rates told lawmakers Tuesday.

John Colmers, chairman of the state’s Health Services Cost Review Commission, updated lawmakers on the status of talks with the federal Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services on the state’s Medicare waiver.

“I will say that we have been very greatly encouraged by those discussions with CMS,” Colmers told the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee. “They are excited, I would say, about the opportunity to see a state as a whole take on this challenge of reducing health care costs and improving care. Now, there are a lot of difficult steps between where we are now and getting it completed.” 
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