Join me and my wife Sheilah for a Celebration of Spring Saturday, April 13th!
Each year, my wife Sheilah and I host a Winter Brunch for our friends and my constituents. This year, it got snowed out! So, we’ve rescheduled it for April 13th. The Special Guest will be Dr. Robert Gallo, Founder of UMD Institute of Human Virology and co-discoverer of the virus which causes AIDS.
I hope you can join us in Gambrills, in the Anne Arundel part of the 21st District. If you would like to join us please go to winterbrunch.com or call 240-712-4646 and RSVP!
When: Saturday, April 13th, 2pm – 4pm
Where: Village Commons Community Center
1326 Main Chapel Way
Gambrills, MD.
We look forward to seeing you!
Senate and House college scholarships for Beltsville students
This spring and summer, Delegates Joseline Pena-Melnyk, Ben Barnes, Mary Lehman, and I will award college scholarships for Beltsville students. Applications for the scholarships for school year 2024-25 are posted on the 21st District Delegation website. The application will automatically go to Dels. Barnes, Pena-Melnyk, and Lehman. You will need to fill out a separate application with my office, for the Senatorial Scholarship. In the meantime, please make sure you have a Maryland College Aid Processing System (MDCAPS) account and fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) when it becomes available. 21st District Delegation Website: https://www.21stdistrictdelegation.com/college-scholarships. If you have questions, email my office at jim.rosapepe@senate.state.md.us or call at 410-841-3141.
Maryland Health Easy Enrollment Program
During this tax season, you will be able to sign up for health coverage through the Easy Enrollment program.
Check a box on your tax return if you would like the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange, the state agency that runs Maryland Health Connection, to estimate your eligibility for coverage. If you file your taxes by April 15, this selection launches an easy process that will help you enroll.
How it works:
1. Check the Box. A question on your state tax forms (502 and 502B) will ask if you want to share some of your information, like your household size and income. By checking the box on the tax return, you are giving permission for the Comptroller to share information with Maryland Health Connection Text
2. File your taxes. If you check the box, Maryland Health Connection will check to see if you may be eligible for free or low-cost health coverage.
3. Receive a letter. Shortly after you file your taxes, the state will mail you a letter explaining your eligibility for free or low-cost health coverage. Many Marylanders qualify for savings. In fact, 9 in 10 Marylanders who enrolled through Maryland Health Connection last year got savings. You will have 35 days from the date on your letter to sign up for a health plan and access these savings.
4. Enroll through Maryland Health Connection. Once you receive your letter you can login into your account or create an account to explore your health plan options and enroll. When you begin your application, a new Special Enrollment question will ask if you or a household member received a “Tax Time SEP” notice. If anyone in your household is already enrolled, you can still add uninsured household members under “Reason for Change.”
5. Get help by phone. A certified navigator from Maryland Health Connection may call you to offer free help enrolling. Find a navigator in your county. Or call 1-855-642-8572 to apply. Deaf and hard of use Relay. Remember, you only have 35 days to enroll!
Maryland's Law Protects Your Health Insurance Coverage
Maryland law gives Maryland consumers the right to appeal a decision that denies you insurance coverage for medically necessary treatment. If your health care provider has determined that certain medical treatment is needed, but your HMO or health insurer does not agree, you have the right to appeal to the Maryland Insurance Commissioner who has the authority to overturn your health plan's decision if your treatment is determined to be medically necessary.
How to File an Appeal Online:
1. File a complaint online via the Maryland Insurance Information secure consumer portal or by e-mail to agcomplaints.mia@maryland.gov.
2. Download the forms to be completed by hand. The complaint forms should be as complete and detailed as possible and accompanied by copies of any documentation relevant to your case. These forms can be found at this link: https://insurance.maryland.gov/Consumer/Documents/lh-a gcomplaintform08-17rev.pdf
3. Life and Health/Appeals and Grievance. The complaint form includes an Authorization for the release of Medical Information. This form is required so that health care providers, insurers, and other relevant parties can share your medical information with our investigator in order to make a determination in your case. The completed forms may be mailed or faxed to the agency as directed below:
Submitting a Written Letter
If you choose to just send a letter, please include or provide the following:
• Your name, address, daytime and evening phone number
• Name of your insurance company, type of insurance (auto, homeowners, fire, etc.), policy number and claim number (if applicable)
• Name of any other insurance company, agent, adjuster, etc. involved in your problem (provide as many names and phone numbers as possible)
• A copy of your health insurance card or your policy.
• A completed and signed Medical Records Release form
• A detailed explanation of the problem or situation
• Copies of any documents that you think are important for the investigator to review. Do not send originals.
• Mail or fax this information to:
Maryland Insurance Administration Attn: Consumer Complaint Investigation Life and Health/Appeals and Grievance 200 St. Paul Place, Suite 2700
Baltimore, MD 21202
Telephone: 410-468-2000 or 1-800-492-6116 TTY: 1-800-735-2258
If you need help filling out these forms or would like to submit them to an agency representative, please visit the Maryland Insurance Administration at one of their Consumer Outreach locations.
AARP Free Tax Preparation Services
AARP Tax-Aide offers free tax preparation by IRS-certified volunteers to anyone of any age, especially persons aged 50 and older or who cannot afford paid service. Tax-Aide in northern Prince George’s is at the Laurel Armory, 422 Montgomery St., Laurel, Maryland 20707, on Wednesdays, February 14, 2024, through April 10, 2024, from 9:30 AM through 2:00 PM, by appointment only. To schedule an appointment call 240-473-2955 on Monday or Tuesday evenings from 6:00 PM until 9:00 PM.
Senior Call Check Available to Maryland Residents
Are you home alone? Would you like someone to check in with you daily? If you are 65+, the Maryland Department of Aging offers you a free service for an automated daily phone call at a scheduled time. If you do not pick up after three attempts, the service will call an alternate person on your behalf to check on you. You must have an active landline or cell phone to participate in the program. Sign up online here or by phone at 1-866-502-0560.
Contact me
Please let me know if there are other issues you have questions or thoughts about. And, of course, feel free to be in touch if I can be of help to you. Just email
21stDistrictDelegation@gmail.com or call 410-841-3141.