ACA Implementation—Monitoring and Tracking
Maryland
Site Visit Report
March 2012

With two years to go before the Affordable Care Act is fully implemented, the State of Maryland appears well poised to fulfill Governor Martin O'Malley's goal of being a health care reform leader among states. Governor O'Malley and his administration were very supportive of national health care reform throughout the debate and continuing through the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The day following enactment of the law, O'Malley created the state's Health Care Reform Coordinating Council (HCRCC) to oversee implementation of the ACA in Maryland. The Council, composed of cabinet secretaries, leadership from health care commissions, and state legislators from both parties, worked aggressively through the remainder of 2010 to engage consumer advocates, physicians, hospitals and safety net providers, health insurers and managed care organizations, and representatives of the business community and obtain their advice, input, and support for the effort. Strong gubernatorial leadership, coupled with broad stakeholder involvement, were credited by multiple key informants interviewed for this study with setting a collaborative tone and for allowing the state to move aggressively and efficiently forward with its health reform effort. more >>>