Summary — SB 840: Medicaid MMIS — SURS Procurement Schedule
Status and scope
- Short title: Requires the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) to publish a public schedule for procuring a Surveillance and Utilization Review Subsystem (SURS) of the Medicaid Management Information System (MMIS).
- Jurisdiction: Maryland (Senate Bill 840, Finance Committee).
- Effective date in bill text: takes effect July 1, 2025.
- Key deadlines imposed by the bill:
- On or before October 1, 2025: MDH must publish on its website a schedule for issuance of the solicitation for the SURS procurement.
- At least 60 days before issuance of the solicitation: MDH must publish written notice on its website describing contracting procedures, requirements, and timetables.
Purpose and intent
- Increase transparency and predictability of the procurement process for the SURS component of MMIS by providing prospective vendors and stakeholders with an advance schedule and clear notice of contracting requirements.
- Support MDH’s planned modernization of SURS as part of a broader MMIS replacement to improve automation, compliance monitoring, and fraud/waste/abuse detection.
Key provisions
- Publication requirement: MDH must post (1) a schedule for issuing the SURS solicitation by Oct 1, 2025 and (2) a written notice detailing contracting procedures, requirements, and timelines at least 60 days before solicitation.
- Location for posting: MDH’s website (and, per agency practice, the eMaryland Marketplace procurement portal).
- No new funding authorization or grant program; the bill does not create new procurement authority beyond existing MDH responsibilities.
Who is affected
- Maryland Department of Health: responsible for preparing and posting the schedule and procurement notices and conducting the subsequent solicitation.
- Potential vendors/contractors: gain earlier notice and clearer procedural information to prepare proposals for the SURS solicitation.
- Medicaid program integrity staff and MMIS modernization teams: procurement transparency may facilitate a smoother acquisition and transition to a modern SURS.
- Medicaid providers and beneficiaries: indirectly affected by potential improvements in fraud detection, claims review, and program integrity once a new SURS is procured and implemented.
Fiscal and operational impact
- Fiscal Note (MD Legislative Services): Minimal — MDH can publish the required information using existing budgeted resources; no revenue impact.
- Operational: Aligns with MDH plans to modernize SURS as part of MMIS replacement; the agency indicated a solicitation was expected within 60–90 days (around the bill’s introduction), and will post notices on its public procurement pages.
Implementation considerations
- MDH must coordinate publication timing to meet the 60‑day notice requirement ahead of solicitation issuance.
- The bill does not specify solicitation content, award criteria, or implementation timelines beyond the posting requirements; those will be established in the subsequent procurement documents and contract.
