The Maryland Senate has signed off on a health insurance plan to pump $600 million into health insurance for Maryland residents over the next five years.
The Senate voted 31-16 in a largely party-line vote to adopt Gov. Martin O'Malley's plan to expand Medicaid eligibility and give some small businesses a subsidy to help them offer health insurance to their employees.
The bill still needs final approval in the Senate before heading to the House, which passed a similar plan last year and is thought likely to approve some version of O'Malley's plan.
Funding for the health insurance expansion would come from several sources, including slot machine gambling and a higher tobacco tax. Both have yet to be approved.