Healthcare

Ensuring healthcare reform and equal access for all is a top priority for Delegate Tom Hucker.

A long-time leader on healthcare, Delegate Hucker was honored to be chosen as a representative to the White House Task Force of State Legislators for Health Care Reform.  Working with the Administration and with other legislators from across the country, Hucker fought to expand healthcare access and to convince our U.S. Senators and Representatives to support the reform bill.

During the 2010 legislative session, Delegate Hucker was the lead sponsor of HB 1238: Health Insurance Requirements – Public Work Contracts, which required that contractors on public works projects make health insurance benefits available to their workers.  State employees receive state health insurance benefits but these subcontracted employees, who do the same work, often have no insurance coverage from their employer.  Although the bill did not pass this year, Hucker plans to continue supporting workers by reintroducing the legislation in 2011.

In 2009, Delegate Hucker was the co-lead sponsor of HB 1186: The Maryland Health Security Act, which would have established single-payer universal healthcare in Maryland.  According to the state’s non-partisan Fiscal and Policy Office, Hucker’s bill would “(1) provide comprehensive and coordinated health care coverage that is not dependent on employment to all State residents; (2) reduce costs; and (3) establish mechanisms to reduce medical errors, decrease health disparities, resolve provider shortages, and ensure transparency and accountability.”

Prior to Delegate Hucker’s election to the Maryland General Assembly, he was the founder and executive director of Progressive Maryland, where he championed healthcare reform and equal access for all Marylanders.