Maryland Democrats have discovered a new trick: rebrand forced payment as compassionate policy — and hope no one reads the fine print.

Gov. Wes Moore recently signed a bill creating a state-funded abortion grant program, aimed at reimbursing providers for services to the uninsured and underinsured. Supporters cheered the move, touting that “no taxpayer dollars” would be used. But let’s be honest: Just because it doesn’t come out of the general fund doesn’t mean Marylanders aren’t paying for it. They are — through their insurance premiums.

For the past 15 years, anyone enrolled in an ACA (Affordable Care Act) marketplace plan in Maryland has been quietly paying a mandatory $1 monthly surcharge specifically earmarked to cover abortion services. This fee isn’t optional. It’s not advertised in bold print. And it’s not tied to whether you use the benefit or not. It’s just… there.

That seemingly harmless dollar has now ballooned into a $25 million surplus sitting in state coffers, unspent. Moving forward, the surcharge is expected to bring in an additional $3 million annually — a slow drip of dollars collected from Marylanders, many of whom may not even know they’re funding abortion access, much less agree with it.

This isn’t about whether you support or oppose abortion. This is about transparency, accountability and consent.

Let’s apply a little common sense. If a restaurant charges every patron a “community meal fee” whether they eat it or not — and then uses the leftover money to feed people outside the restaurant — some would call that noble. Others would call it theft masked as charity. At the very least, customers should know they’re being charged. Better yet, they should be given the choice to opt out or receive a refund when the meal goes uneaten.

But in Maryland? That’s not how it works. ACA enrollees are required to pay a $1 monthly surcharge with no option to opt out — whether they use abortion services or not.

And now, with the creation of this new grant program, that money is being funneled to nonprofit providers, not just to support Maryland residents, but to cover abortion costs for women coming in from other states — women who’ve never paid into Maryland’s health care system at all.

So while Maryland residents quietly foot the bill, others reap the benefits — and the public never got a vote on it.

Let’s also not ignore the political theater. Gov. Moore’s allies praise this as a win for equity and access. And perhaps, for some, it is. But spare us the sanctimony about how “no taxpayers are funding abortions.” For the 247,000 Marylanders currently enrolled in ACA marketplace plans — who are indeed Maryland taxpayers — this is hair-splitting spin at its finest.

Some point to last November’s ballot measure, where 76% of voters supported enshrining abortion access into the state constitution, as justification. But constitutional protection is not the same as mandatory financial participation. Marylanders weren’t voting on whether to bankroll abortion access for out-of-state residents using their insurance premiums. This is a different issue entirely, and it was never put on the ballot.

It gets worse. Maryland is now the first state in the nation to repurpose insurance surcharge surpluses into an abortion fund. First. Not in health care innovation, not in educational reform — but in turning a quietly mandated fee into a permanent pipeline for abortion grants.

That’s not a badge of honor. That’s a policy shortcut cloaked in political pride.

This reveals how the state government operates when left unchecked. Maryland didn’t just find a surplus — they found a slush fund. A pot of money that could be redirected without voter approval, without public debate and without offering a single dime back to the citizens who funded it.

They call it progressive policy. I call it a bait-and-switch on principle. As long as it’s funneled through a bureaucratic pipe instead of the IRS, it’s supposed to feel different.

It doesn’t.

Whether it’s $1 or $100, Marylanders deserve transparency, choice and respect. They deserve to know where their money is going, and they deserve a say in whether they want to keep paying for it.

At a time when trust in institutions is at an all-time low, this kind of policy only deepens the cynicism. It tells people their voice doesn’t matter. That the state knows best. That your deeply held values can be neatly overridden by a line item on a premium.

So, if Maryland lawmakers truly wanted to lead with integrity, they would have considered an opt-out provision. Or better yet, refunded the surplus back to the people who paid it.

Because consent matters. In every context.

Angelette C. Aviles (X: @Angelette) is a branding and communications expert and a frequent host on WBAL Radio.