June 30, 2026
The Delaware General Assembly's 2026 Legislative Session ran from January 13, 2026, to June 30, 2026.
The following major bills passed during the session.
- Senate Bill 213 Compromise legislation to implement the Diamond State Hospital Cost Review Board, requiring unprecedented hospital financial transparency and accountability
- SS 2 for Senate Bill 1: Supports primary care while taking another meaningful step toward addressing healthcare affordability
- HS 1 for House Bill 322 Seeks to protect healthcare workers, patients, and families from violence in hospital and healthcare settings
- SS 1 for Senate Bill 13: Enhances access to hospital financial assistance programs
- Senate Bill 313: Aims to prevent private equity from acquiring Delaware’s nonprofit acute care hospitals
- House Bill 385: Supports nurse preceptor programs to strengthen Delaware’s healthcare workforce
March 31, 2026
The 2026 Maryland General Assembly began on January 14, 2026, and will conclude on Monday, April 13, 2026. The MASHRM Legislative Committee has been closely monitoring bills including:
-
SB 269/HB 385- Evidence- Rebuttable Presumption of Medical Bills. This bill would establish a rebuttable presumption in an action for personal injury or wrongful death that a medical bill from a health care provider is authentic, fair, and reasonable if the bill was properly provided in discovery. Maryland Hospital Association has opposed this bill, noting that “Maryland already has one of the most challenging and unstable liability climates Sini the nation. This bill would compound those challenges by shifting the burden of proving the veracity of medical bills onto defendants. This structure is fundamentally unfair and encourages the submission of medical bills for health services that may not have been medically necessary.” This bill is currently pending in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee.
-
SB 871 - Civil Actions- Punitive Damages Awards - Surcharge. This bill would provide that punitive damages may be awarded in a civil action only if the plaintiff proves by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant acted with gross negligence and would further require the State Court Administrator to assess a surcharge on a defendant against whom punitive damages are entered. Maryland Hospital Association has opposed this bill noting that it would result in more frequent and substantially larger damage awards. The bill is currently pending in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee.
-
SB 792 - Hospitals - Immigration Enforcement Action. This bill would require hospitals in MD to adopt a policy describing the protocol of the hospital when there is an immigration enforcement action at the hospital. A third reading passed and the bill is currently pending in the House Health Committee.
February 5, 2026
DC Council Advances Bill Maximizing Access to HIV / AIDS Prevention Care
The bill consists of three primary components. First, it prevents health insurers and benefit plans from using prescription information regarding HIV prevention treatment to set insurance rates or to determine insurance eligibility. Second, it prohibits insurers from restricting or delaying distribution of prescribed antiretroviral drugs intended to combat HIV and/or AIDS. And third, it would prevent insurers from imposing a deductible, co-pay, or other costs for any formulation of the newest class of anti-HIV and anti-AIDS drugs, known as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) or post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), meant to prevent HIV/AIDS infection in the first place.
