Md. governor outlines health initiatives

Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, in his first “State of the State Address,” called for extending healthcare coverage to some of the state’s 800,000 uninsured, partly by expanding state health programs, and said he will ask for more than $100 million in his fiscal 2008 budget to increase Medicaid reimbursement to physicians. O’Malley also said he wants to restore Medicaid benefits to legal immigrant families; allow young adults to receive coverage through their parents’ healthcare policies for a longer period; and create an Institute for Healthcare Quality to promote wellness programs and preventive care. -- by Matthew DoBias