Two-thirds of Maryland voters favor doubling the $1-a-pack cigarette tax to expand health insurance coverage, according to anew state poll.
The poll is part of a renewed push by a coalition of groups called the Maryland Citizens? Health Initiative to raise tobacco taxes to both reduce smoking and cut the number of people without health insurance. The coalition, with AARP in the lead, is beginning a $100,000 statewide campaign of print and radio ads to drum up support for the plan.
Maryland AARP Executive Director Joe DeMattos, said the increase in the cigarette tax represents “a health care policy trifecta”: It helps cure the general budget deficit and can be used to help the uninsured; it reduces the number of teens and children who might start smoking; and it stops several thousand smokers from smoking.
The Health Initiative includes health, faith-based, labor and business organizations and supports an increase of Medicaid coverage to those at 116 percent of the poverty level.
An estimated 250,000 additional Marylanders would get health coverage.
“People in Maryland are worried that they are just one financial catastrophe away from losing coverage,” DeMattos said. They are also aware that uninsured patients getting emergency room and hospital care increase the cost of health insurance for everyone. Uninsured care is factored into hospital rates in Maryland.
“Maryland is one of the best states for providing health care for children,” Health Initiative President Vincent DeMarco said . But it is among the 10 worst states providing Medicaid coverage for adults, he said.
Gov. Martin O?Malley said last Friday it was “a distinct possibility” the cigarette tax might be raised to cure the budget deficit, even though it would be a declining source of revenue.
The poll by Opinion Works of Annapolis interviewed 622 likely Maryland voters in late August and has a maximum potential sampling error of 3.9 percent.
Bruce Bereano, a lobbyist for tobacco wholesalers, saidhis clients continue to oppose an increase in the tobacco tax which would drive business to other states.
