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<section article="gin" article_name="Insurance" number="31-118" title_number="31" title_name="Maryland Health Benefit Exchange" subtitle_number="1" subtitle_name="Maryland Health Benefit Exchange">
  <level label="a">
    <text>Beginning January 1, 2014, subject to subsections (b) and (c) of this section, the Exchange may:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>impose user fees, licensing or other regulatory fees, or other assessments that do not exceed reasonable projections regarding the amount necessary to support the operations of the Exchange under this subtitle; or</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>otherwise generate funding necessary to support its operations under this subtitle.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>Any fees, assessments, or other funding mechanisms shall be imposed or implemented, to the maximum extent possible, in a manner that is transparent and broad–based.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>Before imposing or altering any fee or assessment established by law, the Exchange shall adopt regulations that specify:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>the persons subject to the fee or assessment;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>the amount of the fee or assessment; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>the manner in which the fee or assessment will be collected.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>Funds collected through any fees, assessments, or other funding mechanisms:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>shall be deposited in the Fund;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>shall be used only for the purposes authorized under this subtitle; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>may not be used for staff retreats, promotional giveaways, excessive executive compensation, or promotion of federal or State legislative and regulatory actions.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>The Exchange may not impose fees or assessments authorized under this section in a manner that would provide a competitive disadvantage to health benefit plans operating outside of the Exchange.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <text>The Exchange shall maintain a website on which it shall publish:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>the average amounts of any fees, assessments, or other payments required by the Exchange;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>the administrative costs of the Exchange; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>the amount of funds known to be lost through waste, fraud, and abuse.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
