A new poll found that nearly all Marylanders want the state General Assembly to review hospital pricing, frustrated by high healthcare costs.
The statewide survey, conducted by Gonzalez Research, found respondents across the political spectrum frustrated with high healthcare costs. Driven by high hospital costs, respondents lamented that the rising costs were putting unsustainable pressure on the state’s economic life. Concerns were slightly higher among Democrats, but heavy concern was unanimous among every demographic.
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Hospital expenses have risen more than 250% since 2000, an eye-watering figure triggering alarm across the population. A legislative examination of hospital costs has emerged as one of the last hopes for Marylanders frustrated with these rising costs, with 80% saying the legislature should “definitely” take up the issue, and another 14% saying it “probably should. Only 5% of respondents opposed the legislative intervention.
Maryland’s hospital costs are calculated differently from other states, previously using the Total Cost of Care Model, but transitioning to the Achieving Healthcare Efficiency through Accountable Design Model on Jan. 1. Under the model, the state mandates one fixed price for identical procedures across the state.
Increases in hospital costs aren’t unique to Maryland and are less than for other states that allow price gouging. Despite this, broader healthcare costs have driven prices up, eliciting anger from the public.
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Its new AHEAD program will put it more in line with federal healthcare practices, risking higher prices.
The Gonzales poll was conducted from Dec. 21 through Jan. 6, surveying 808 registered voters in Maryland “likely” planning to vote in the 2026 elections. The margin of error was +/- 3.5 percentage points.
