Category — News
Statement on 2012 Health Care Exchange Legislation
May 2, 2012
We look forward to working with the Governor, Lt. Governor Anthony Brown, and Health Secretary and Exchange Board Chair Josh Sharfstein to make sure that the Board uses these new powers effectively to keep Maryland at the forefront of fully implementing the federal Affordable Care Act.... Read more »
Top Maryland Faith Leaders Call For Restoring Doomsday Cuts
April 30, 2012
...convene a Special Session to restore the budget cuts and to enact the life-saving tobacco tax increase which they nearly passed during the 2012 regular Session.... Read more »
Maryland kids win with CHIPRA performance bonus
January 11, 2012
Maryland has just received its second Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) performance bonus from CMS. This recognizes its efforts to identify and enroll eligible children in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Maryland enrolled an additional 41,000 children in FY 2011 alone, and since 2007 we have seen a 34% overall increase in enrollment. Our bonus of $28.3 million represents the highest amount awarded by CMS this year. ... Read more »
Group pushing tobacco tax says it’s a popular idea
Two-thirds of Maryland voters support increasing the state’s tobacco tax, according to a new poll from the Maryland Citizens’ Health Initiative, the group that pushed the dime-a-drink tax on alcohol last General Assembly session.... Read more »
Group will push for increased levy on cigars, other tobacco products
Although cigarette smoking in Maryland has declined by 32 percent in the past decade, DeMarco argues that taxes on cigars and smokeless tobacco should be on par with the state’s cigarette tax.... Read more »
Bid afoot in Maryland to raise tax on cigars and more
A survey of Maryland voters performed this fall by the polling firm Opinion Works found that 72 percent favored increasing the OTP tax and 54 “strongly” favored the hike.... Read more »
Coalition to push for $1 a pack increase
The group is headed by Vincent DeMarco, includes AARP Maryland, MedChi and the NAACP among others. They plan lobby lawmakers next session to increase Maryland's rate to $3 a pack. ... Read more »
Another hike In MD tobacco tax likely
While some may oppose a tax increase simply on principle, it’s hard to argue against something that encourages people to stop smoking.... Read more »
Push on to raise Maryland cigarette tax to $3 a pack
In addition to raising the price of cigarettes, Mr. DeMarco said, his group’s proposal also would increase the current 15-percent excise tax on other tobacco products (OTP). The 15-percent rate was instituted in 1999 and has since gone unchanged — a development that he argues has allowed underage smokers to pursue cigars and smokeless tobacco as cheaper alternatives to cigarettes.... Read more »
A new tobacco tax?
The same organization which successfully pushed for a 50 percent hike in the state’s sales tax on alcohol earlier this year now plans a push to raise the tobacco tax.... Read more »
