{"id":11575043,"date":"2025-07-24T05:00:48","date_gmt":"2025-07-24T09:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.baltimoresun.com\/?p=11575043"},"modified":"2025-07-24T11:44:02","modified_gmt":"2025-07-24T15:44:02","slug":"new-maryland-health-secretary-says-states-relationship-with-trumps-hhs-challenged","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.baltimoresun.com\/2025\/07\/24\/new-maryland-health-secretary-says-states-relationship-with-trumps-hhs-challenged\/","title":{"rendered":"New Maryland health secretary says state’s relationship with Trump\u2019s HHS ‘challenged’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dr. Meena Seshamani<\/a> says she\u2019s focused on behavioral health and other priorities as she passes her 100th day heading the state\u2019s Department of Health, though she avoided direct answers to many of The Sun\u2019s questions on major health topics during a wide-ranging interview Wednesday.<\/p>\n

Seshamani acknowledged that the state\u2019s relationship with the federal government is \u201cbeing challenged right now.\u201d Some recent changes include Medicaid cuts recently passed by Congress and new policies being implemented by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy. She also said she\u2019s working on regaining “trust” with the disability community after funding cuts during the last legislative session.<\/p>\n

Seshamani replaced Laura Herrera Scott, who left the position in February. Seshamani assumed the role in April, after serving as deputy administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services under the Biden administration.<\/p>\n

Treating drug overdoses<\/h4>\n

Maryland ranked 15th on overdose fatality rates nationwide in 2022, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Baltimore is a national hotspot for drug overdoses and recently made national headlines for a mass overdose event involving 27 people who were hospitalized<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Asked what the state can do to improve drug treatment, beyond merely preventing overdose deaths, Seshamani said behavioral health is \u201cabsolutely a priority\u201d for her and that it\u2019s important for substance use disorder to be \u201cincorporated into the full spectrum of behavioral health care.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy behavioral health team has been working on that continuum of care to start with prevention, going all the way to post-acute [care], and how does substance use fit in there,” she said.<\/p>\n

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott has advocated for bringing supervised drug consumption sites<\/a> to the city, where people can use illegal substances with health care professionals available to prevent overdoses and provide clean needles for injection. The nation\u2019s first such site opened in New York City in 2021.<\/p>\n

Asked whether she believes Maryland should adopt supervised drug use sites, Seshamani said she didn\u2019t have an opinion on the matter.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are always open to considering various options,\u201d she said. \u201cSo that’s something that I can take back to the team.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seshamani noted that the department administers grants to providers \u201cbecause it’s very important that people are hearing from their local trusted messenger.\u201d She also noted a partnership with the Department of Labor for training for \u201cpeer recovery coaches\u201d in rehabilitation facilities.<\/p>\n

Medicaid coverage<\/h4>\n

An estimated 175,000 Marylanders will lose Medicaid coverage under the expansive tax and spending bill passed by Congress earlier this month. The total amount of money expected to be lost by Fiscal Year 2034 is around $2.7 billion, with most of the funding losses occurring in the 2027 and 2028 fiscal years.<\/p>\n

The new federal policy requires people to work 80 hours per month in order to qualify for the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion, which covers adults earning incomes of up to 138% of the federal poverty level. Around 331,577 people in Maryland currently qualify.<\/p>\n