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<section article="gin" article_name="Insurance" number="15-601" title_number="15" title_name="Health Insurance" subtitle_number="6" subtitle_name="Required Reimbursement of Institutions">
  <level label="a">
    <text>This section applies to insurers and nonprofit health service plans that provide hospital benefits in the State under individual, group, or blanket health insurance policies.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>Each entity subject to this section that offers benefits to an insured or beneficiary who uses designated low-cost hospitals, that are different from the benefits offered when other hospitals are used, shall base its designation of a low-cost hospital on information that:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>excludes the reasonable cost of medical education and of uncompensated care as determined by the Health Services Cost Review Commission;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>excludes the cost associated with a shock trauma facility as determined by the Health Services Cost Review Commission;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>excludes the amount in rates approved by the Health Services Cost Review Commission for undergraduate nursing education;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>excludes from consideration each hospital that is determined by the Maryland Health Care Commission to be a sole community provider; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>compares hospitals on a regional basis, unless the entity demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Commissioner that a statewide comparison is more appropriate.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>An entity subject to this section that provides hospital benefits under subsection (b) of this section may not subsidize those benefits from premiums earned by other benefit plans, programs, or policies.</text>
  </level>
</section>
