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Tell Maine Legislators
to
Support Health Coverage
for
Unemployed
Workers |
Dear
Jaime,
A new national plan is
allowing Americans who lost their jobs and health
insurance between September 1, 2008 and December
31, 2009 to get COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act) insurance coverage at a 65%
discount. The unemployed workers will be
responsible for paying the remaining
35%.
That is a great help, but that
remaining 35% could still be hundreds of dollars
for some families. Many Maine people will not be
able to afford that when they're already
struggling to put food on the
table. That's why Maine is considering
a plan to use some federal stimulus dollars to
help up to 8,000 low and moderate income people
pay for the remaining 35% of their COBRA
premiums.
We
need to make sure that Maine's plan to provide
additional support to families in need is approved
by our State Legislature-and fast!
Otherwise, people who need the help most may lose
their window of opportunity to enroll in the
Federal program that provides the first 65% off
the cost.
Email
or call your Maine
House and Senate Representatives and tell them
how much this coverage assistance may help you or
those you know.
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 Maine's Plan - A Two Part
Solution
PART ONE- Laid off
from a Large
Employer
If you
are eligible for the Federal 65% COBRA discount,
and your previous employer has MORE than 20
employees: As long as your household makes
at or less than 300% of the poverty level (about
$32,500 a year for an individual and $66,150 for a
family of four) you would be able to receive a
voucher that will provide an additional 20%-80%
subsidy for the remainder of your COBRA coverage
bill for up to nine months.
Examples:
If your COBRA coverage was going to cost you
$500 a month, after subtracting the 65% federal
subsidy, your cost would be $175 a month. The
State plan for additional assistance could lower
your monthly payment to between $35 to $140 a
month, depending on your household income. A
$1200 family plan payment could be reduced to
between $84 to $336 a month, depending on your
household income.
PART TWO- Laid off from a Small
Employer
If you are eligible
for the Federal 65% COBRA discount, and your
employer had 20 employees or fewer: As long as
your household makes at or less than 300% of the
poverty level, and you lost health coverage when
you lost your job between September 1, 2008 and
December 31, 2009, the new Maine plan could
provide you with 20%-80% subsidies to obtain
coverage for up to nine months through Harvard
Pilgrim Health Care and the Dirigo Health
Agency. |
We Must Act
Fast - Contact Legislators
Now!
These State measures need to
be passed quickly so people don't miss their
chance to obtain affordable insurance
coverage. Many laid off Mainers didn't sign
up for their COBRA plan because they couldn't
afford it with just the 65% Federal subsidy.
And, for some people, if they don't sign up by May
1, 2009 they could lose their opportunity to
access the Federal assistance, and Maine's
proposed additional help. The longer the
State takes to pass this additional assistance,
the more likely that window will close and many
hard working Mainers will not get this much needed
insurance at a rate they can
afford.
Contact your
State
Legislators and tell them to
support and ACT FAST on Maine's health coverage
subsidy plan to help hard working Mainers who
already suffered the blow of
layoffs.
Questions?
For more information on the
Federal 65% COBRA assistance: Call
the New England Department of Labor at
1-866-444-3272. You will be asked to leave a
message and someone will promptly return your
call.
For more information on Maine's
plan to provide additional help: Call our
Health Care HelpLine at 1-800-965-7476. Some
of the details of this proposal are still unknown,
but HelpLine staff can share the information that
we do have at this point in
time. | |
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