BALTIMORE, Md. — A retired Maryland state employee filed an emergency Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland seeking immediate relief to prevent the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) from unlawfully denying him mandatory prescription drug benefits during the upcoming Medicare Part D enrollment period for 2027, which runs October 15 through December 7, 2026.
The filing argues that Maryland law guarantees certain retirees’ reimbursement for prescription drug costs and access to life‑sustaining medications under Md. Code, State Pers. & Pens. § 2‑509.1(d) and (f). Instead of providing those benefits directly, DBM requires retirees to enroll through “VIA Benefits,” a trademark brand of Willis Towers Watson that is not a legal entity, is not registered to do business in Maryland, and requires retirees to disclose personal health information without HIPAA protections.
“DBM cannot replace mandatory State‑run programs with a vendor‑controlled system and deny benefits to retirees who enroll directly with Medicare,” said attorney Deborah A. Holloway Hill, who represents the Plaintiff. “DBM does not have the authority to eliminate statutory programs, rewrite eligibility rules, or force retirees to disclose private medical information to a trademark in order to receive benefits. In short, DBM imposed conditions on retired State employees that the Legislature never authorized.”…