Maryland Health Insurance Plan

There's discussion about a new bill that would require Maryland residents to buy health insurance.

The Maryland Health Care Commission is working on the plan. It would be called Maryland Health and would replace the traditional system of health insurance plans chosen by employers. Instead, workers would chose their plan from an insurance exchange and take the coverage with them as they change jobs.

Employers would cover part of the cost and lower-income people would get subsidies. Many details have not been worked out, but the commission staff hopes to supply more information to the General Assembly in January.

One other state - Massachusetts - approved a similar health insurance plan last year, but it has not yet gone into effect.