4160 Patterson Avenue
Baltimore,
MD 21215
877-245-1762 (Voice - Toll-free)
410-764-3460 (Voice)
410-358-1236 (FAX)
800-735-2258 (TTY)
The Maryland Health Care Commission (MHCC) is a public, regulatory commission created in 1999 by the Maryland General Assembly. The mission of MHCC is to plan for health system needs, promote informed decision-making, increase accountability, and improve access in a rapidly changing health care environment by providing timely and accurate information on availability, cost, and quality of services to policy makers, purchasers, providers and the public. The Commission's responsibilities include (1) development of a comprehensive standard health benefit plan, (2) development of recommendations for a patient safety system in Maryland and other special projects, (3) creation of a database on non-hospital health care services, and (4) oversight of electronic claims clearinghouses.
The Commission develops performance evaluation systems for hospitals, nursing homes facilities, and ambulatory surgical facilities. Samples include (1) the Nursing Home Performance Evaluation Guide, which assists consumers and their families in making decisions about selecting a nursing home; (2) the Hospital Performance Evaluation Guide, which enables consumers to review information on several facility characteristics, such as location of the hospital, number of beds, and accreditation status; and (3) the Ambulatory Surgical Facility Consumer Guide, which features information on over 250 ambulatory surgical facilities in Maryland.